Spice?
by solitaryloner
Summary: Parallel fic to my Spice! fic. Miku is known throughout school for being an irresistible playgirl, one who broke hearts but never loved. Just like Len Kagamine. Len has feelings for her, but she doesn't return those feelings as she loves another. And now,
1. Chapter 1

Miku Hatsune looked at her phone and sighed. Of course. It was _him. _It would never be the text she wanted, but always, always, messages from _that _guy.

She liked him, but only as a friend. She didn't know what he wanted from her, what he found so _interesting _about her. It wasn't like he had any shortage of girls to choose from - he was popular, handsome, desired by many. Miku didn't know of a _single _girl who didn't sigh in longing when thinking of _him._

So why her? Why would he want someone as unclean as she was? Because she was like him? Because, like him, her reputation preceded her? She gritted her teeth.

_He does this because he wants to, because he likes it. I do this because I have no choice._

She opened the message from him, deciding to read it before she deleted it. Her eyes scanned the message from him, and as she read she let out a weary sigh.

_Hey, Miku, can I come by your house later? I'm bored. There isn't anything to do at home, and anyway I miss you. A lot._

She replied with a simple no and deleted the message from her inbox. Before she could slide her phone back inside her pocket, she received another message.

This one read, _Fine. Why are you so distant towards me, anyway?_

She ignored his message. It wasn't that she hated him, or disliked him, or anything like that. It was just...he was a childhood friend of hers, and she found it weird, to be talking to him this way. He was practically a brother to her, and she would never view him as anything else.

No matter what he wants. _I'm just a passing infatuation. I'm sure he'll find someone else to obsess over soon. He has so many other girls to choose from._

''Miku?'' Miku froze, turning slowly, her heart in her throat. Kaito Shion stared curiously back at her, his arm draped across Rin Kagamine's shoulder, and the sight of them so close made Miku's heart clench.

_What I wouldn't give to be Rin Kagamine._

''Hello, Kaito,'' she forced a smile. ''Hey, Rin.''

''Miku!'' Rin chirped happily. ''Len's asking whether he can drop by your house later! He says he hasn't seen you in a long time.''

''That's rubbish, we're in the same class,'' Miku snorted. ''And yeah, I know. He just messaged me, asking if he can come.''

''I bet you said no,'' Rin sighed. Miku grinned a little - the blonde-haired girl knew both her and her twin brother, Len Kagamine, well. ''Len really does like you, you know.''

''He doesn't. He's only interested because I'm the childhood friend of both of you, and because I prove a challenge. I'm the only girl in class who doesn't throw herself at him.''

''He really does like you,'' Rin insisted. ''You don't know how much I hear him _talking _about you - it's always Miku this, Miku that.''

''If he really liked me, he wouldn't be sleeping with all those other girls and using them the way he does now,'' Miku snapped. The words came out harsher than she had intended, and she instantly felt guilty as she watched Rin's face fall.

''Miku,'' Kaito tried to be the peacemaker. Miku tried not to react when he said her name. ''Don't be so harsh on Len...give him a chance, at least. He probably has his reasons for doing all that. He's a nice guy.''

''I know he's a nice guy. We're friends, remember?'' _I just don't like him the way I like you, though you're Rin's boyfriend._

''Len has his reasons,'' Rin repeated what Kaito had said, in a much softer tone. ''I'll see you tomorrow, then, Miku...I'll tell Len that you said no.'' She laced her fingers through Kaito's.

Miku glanced away. ''Don't bother. I already told Len that he can't come. I don't _always _ignore his messages, you know that?'' she muttered bitterly. ''Though he complains about it.''

It wasn't like she led Len on, giving him the illusion that he had a chance when, in fact, he didn't. No, she made it clear from the very start that she would never be interested in him that way. He was nothing more than a friend.

So why did he continue to try so hard? She felt touched, she reluctantly admitted, but she just _didn't _like him that way.

She liked Kaito Shion, her best friend Rin Kagamine's boyfriend. Rin Kagamine, the elder twin sister of Len Kagamine. Her lips tilted up into a tiny smile.

_This whole thing is just so incredibly twisted, from my point of view. Rin and Kaito are happy together. I can't break them up._

''See you, then, Miku,'' Kaito smiled. ''I hope you manage to settle something with Len so he won't bother you so much...since you obviously don't like him that way.'' With that, he and Rin walked away, Rin waving goodbye as they left. Miku waved back, heart heavy.

If only Len was Kaito. Life would be so much simpler, if Len was Kaito. Then she would like him, and she wouldn't have these stupid issues right now. She wouldn't be crushing on her best friend's boyfriend, and said best friend's twin brother wouldn't be harassing her.

But Len _wasn't _Kaito. Len Kagamine was an admittedly handsome boy, a friend she had known for thirteen years, ever since they were both five, and she treated him as only a brother. Nothing more than that.

Kaito Shion, though, she had liked since she had first set eyes upon him. She had first met him in high school, when she was fifteen, and he was sixteen. A grade above her. But by then, he was _already _with Rin, who had been his girlfriend ever since middle school. Miku swallowed.

Her life was just so incredibly...depressing. Sometimes, she wished so badly that she was Rin, just so she could be together with Kaito. Just so she would know what having Kaito Shion like her would feel like.

And so that Len wouldn't like her that way. Miku shook her head, rising from the chair she was sitting on, in the cafeteria. It was time to go home.

She hoped she wouldn't run into Len, on the way home.


	2. Chapter 2

Len Kagamine glanced at his phone. There were messages, but none from the one he wanted. Sighing, he tossed his phone aside, onto the bedside table.

''Why did you sigh?'' Meiko purred, her palm running against his cheek. Len clasped her hand, his lips tilting up into a smirk.

''I was wondering, why is it that we have to wait so long before we can see each other again,'' he lied smoothly, his slender fingers tracing circular patterns across Meiko's pale cheek. ''It's such a pity.''

''I agree,'' she breathed, reaching up for a kiss. Subtly, Len leant away, hiding the withdrawal by laughing and messing up her sleek red bob of hair. She pouted and sat up, patting the strands of hair back into place.

''I have to go now,'' Len murmured. Sliding off the bed, he reached for his shirt, lying on the floor, and tugged it on over his head. Without any other farewell, he left the room, taking his phone from the table. Quickly, he stepped out of the house, through the front door.

Meiko didn't protest - everyone knew that he never stayed, anyway. He warned any woman who desired him that he would never stay with them, and they accepted that.

It wasn't his fault or anything like that. If they chose to hurt themselves and break their own hearts by staying with him, well, Len wasn't in any position to comment on their masochistic tendencies, was he?

Meiko lived near him. It wouldn't take that long for him to reach his house. He wondered whether his twin sister, Rin, was home yet. He didn't think so though - she was probably out with Kaito Shion. Len sighed again. _I hope I brought my keys with me this time._

He had been stuck outside his house before, waiting for his sister to return and unlock the gates. It was not what he could call a pleasant experience, and he sincerely hoped that it wouldn't happen _again._

_For the tenth time this month._

He patted his pockets, then exhaled in relief as he felt the shape of keys through the fabric of his pants. Flicking his blonde hair out of his eyes, he walked a little faster, eager to go back to his room and take a nap.

He thought he saw someone walking ahead of him, and narrowing his eyes he tried to focus on the small figure. He managed to make out unnaturally long green hair, tied up into two ponytails, a slender figure who was so graceful she seemed to dance rather than walk.

His heart began to race, and he scowled as he felt his cheeks warm. Still, he ran to catch up with her, calling out her name. She turned, surprise and a little disappointment in her eyes. ''Len,'' she smiled, a tiny smile.

''Miku,'' his gaze dropped to the pavement, feeling dejected over the disappointment he had seen in those lovely eyes. He pushed the sadness away, glanced back up to meet those forest-green eyes. ''You didn't reply my message.''

''I was busy,'' she turned away from him, continuing on her way home. He fell into step next to her, careful not to accidentally brush against her skin. She didn't like it when he did that. Touch her.

She didn't like him that way, but he was determined to change that. Len knew that women desired him - he had never once been turned away before.

So why was it that Miku continuously denied him what she gave to other boys? She didn't love them. She barely even _knew _them - whereas he...she knew Len. They had been friends since childhood; so in what way was _Len _inferior to the other boys she talked to?

Not in terms of looks, he knew that. And he knew how to please girls, women, with his hands. Knew _very _well how, in fact. So why was he so different from others? What was wrong with him such that Miku kept turning him away?

The sound of a phone ringing pierced the tense silence between them, and Miku's vivid emerald eyes widened. She pulled her phone out of her pocket, pressing it against her ear.

''Piko?'' she smiled. ''Yeah...I didn't forget,'' she sighed. ''I'll be there, don't worry. Did I ever forget before? Hah...don't be paranoid. See you later. Bye.'' She flipped her phone shut, her eyes sliding over to meet his. ''Sorry about that.''

''It's okay. It's not like we were even talking or anything like that,'' Len muttered, not meeting her gaze. _Piko, huh? Why would you be willing to offer yourself to him like that? What makes Piko so special, makes him so different from me?_

_Why don't you treat me the same way as you treat all those other guys? I wouldn't mind, so long as I have the illusion of love you offer the rest of them, too._

''We haven't talked in a while, have we?'' Miku replied coolly, her eyes fixed on the pavement ahead. Len swallowed and glanced at her.

_She's really pretty..._

''You didn't want to talk to me,'' Len pointed out, his hands stuffed deep inside his pants pockets. She shot him a look, filled with some emotion he wasn't able to identify, but she looked away before he could take a closer look.

''We both know why I don't want to talk to you, Len,'' she answered softly, and he scowled again, his blue eyes narrowing.

Yes, he knew. How could he not? He had told her about his feelings for her before, and she had told him that she would never like him as anything other than a friend, a brother. But Len hadn't accepted no for an answer.

He, Len Kagamine, was simply not used to being rejected by any girl. He had persisted, trying to get her to agree to go out with him, and because of that she had gradually started pulling away from him. From being neighbours, close friends, to being barely more than mere strangers.

But he didn't want to chase her just because she was the first girl to ever reject him. Len knew his feelings for her were _genuine _- he had liked her ever since they were little children, though he had always tried to deny it.

''Miku and Len! Miku and Len! Len likes Miku!'' the children at preschool had always teased them. And they had always denied it, though it had been true. He used to be shy, not daring to admit to anything, and Miku had found it distasteful, because to her she and Len were nothing more than friends.

She always reacted so strongly to such rumours that in the end, Len had never dared to tell her that the rumours were _true, _that he _did _have feelings for her.

In middle school he became bolder, more willing to open up. He hung out with girls in a bid to get Miku to notice him, but she never bothered to give him anything more than a disinterested glance.

Even now, he still used girls to catch Miku's attention, to try and make her jealous, but...it didn't seem to work. In fact, Miku just seemed to become more and more distant.

They reached her house, and she said goodbye, walking past the gates to the front door. Len stood outside, watching her enter the house, and he continued watching even after the door was shut, leaving him outside.

_I want her. What makes me so different from the other guys she toys with? I don't mind being toyed with, so long as she gives me the illusion that she loves me. She knows that, so why does she keep refusing me?_

_I would be willing to accept lies and untruths, just so I could spend one night in her arms._


	3. Chapter 3

Miku stretched, rotating her shoulders as her muscles protested happily, the soreness a good one. A smile curved her lips, and twisting around she caressed the side of Piko's face, who stared back lazily with his unique, dual-coloured eyes.

''Like that?'' Miku purred, feeling a cool drop of perspiration rolling down from her neck to the tip of her bare breast.

''I like anything you do to me, Hatsune,'' Piko drawled, his head propped up on one arm. He pulled her down for a swift kiss, and she allowed him, their lips meeting. Fast and brutal, they separated just as quickly, and Miku's smirk returned.

''You know what I want in return,'' she murmured in Piko's ear. He sighed and nodded, sliding off the bed, and Miku licked her lips at the sight of all that lean, toned skin.

He leant against the table, snatching a black leather wallet from its surface. Snapping it open, he took out some cash, and Miku sauntered over to him, taking the money from his outstretched fist.

Three hundred dollars. Her smile widened - Piko must be feeling generous today. She leant forward, pecking him on the lips, and his tongue flicked out against her lips, hungry for more.

She withdrew, and his fingers clasped her wrist, those dual-coloured eyes searching hers. ''We're all nothing more than your toys, aren't we? All the men you sleep with. You just need their money. Or you wouldn't do this.''

''You're right. I'm nothing more than a whore, Piko,'' she fluttered her eyelashes at him. ''Do you still want to talk to one so tainted as I am? Someone as corrupted as me?''

''Why should I mind?'' Piko shrugged, his head tipping to one side. ''So long as I get what I want, and you get your money, we're both happy...that's what's important, isn't it?''

''You're right, of course,'' Miku caressed his cheek. ''I don't care what anyone thinks of me, so long as I get my money. I love you, Piko.''

''I know you don't, but I try to believe that anyway,'' Piko flicked his silver hair out of his eyes. ''You're leaving now, aren't you?''

''I am,'' she verified, walking over to the clothes which were strewn on the floor. Bending over, she picked up her clothes, tugging them onto her lithe, slender body. Piko watched, his eyes hungry. She felt his gaze on her back. ''You know I'll come to you when you want, Piko.''

''I know that,'' was all he said. Miku bade him farewell and walked out of his room, down the stairs and out of the house, into the night.

She gritted her teeth, feeling the money in her skirt pocket. Most of what she had said in front of Piko was a _lie _- she cared what people thought of her. She hated doing this, sleeping with boys for their money, but...

If she didn't, they wouldn't have any way to support themselves. Miku's parents were both dead, died in a car accident. She didn't have any relatives, not that she knew of, not anymore.

For a while, her aunt had taken care of her and her younger brother, Mikuo Hatsune, but their aunt had become bankrupt due to her gambling addiction and thrown them out.

Thankfully, her parents had left them a house, upon their deaths, and so she and Mikuo had went to stay there. She was too proud to go to anyone about her problems - Miku Hatsune was independent enough to support both herself and her brother. She felt ashamed, to ask for help.

She had to earn money to support both of them, but she needed a job where she had a flexible enough schedule to focus on her studies. She also needed a job which didn't require her to stay out too frequently, so she could return home and take care of Mikuo, who was only twelve years old.

She needed money fast, though. After much thinking, she had decided that _this _was the job that suited her needs best.

She was Miku Hatsune. The beautiful girl who all the boys desired. The one that any boy could sleep with, so long as they had the money. She had a playgirl reputation in school, breaking hearts and leaving them in tatters.

Just like Len Kagamine did to his girls. But where Miku did this to survive, Len did this for _fun _- he never stayed with any of his admirers. He had his fun and walked away, without a second glance.

So she and Len were similar. But they were different, at the same time - Miku did this to support herself and her brother, whereas Len did this to kill free time. She sighed.

_I wonder whether he ever feels guilty for using girls that way, the way I feel guilty sometimes. I don't love them, not a single one of them - what they're believing is nothing but a lie._

She took a look at her phone's display, and her eyes widened. It was late - eleven pm already. She quickened her pace, wanting to reach home soon. She needed to make sure Mikuo was okay, that he had finished off his homework and whatnot.

Soon, her house was in sight, and she opened the gates, letting herself in. She cast a glance at the house, two spaces down - it was Len's house. Len's room lights were still switched on, and she frowned, wondering what he was up to at that moment.

She twisted the doorknob of her front door, and as soon as it swung open she was ambushed by a head full of teal hair, hair just like hers. Twelve-year-old Mikuo Hatsune stared up at her, his arms wrapped around her waist.

''You're home late,'' he said, his voice shaking as he attempted to sound accusatory. Miku knew it was her wrong this time - she had promised to be home by ten.

''I'm sorry,'' she placed her hands on his shoulders, bending down so that their faces were at a similar level, hers slightly above his. ''I won't be home late ever again.''

''Promise?'' Mikuo glanced up at her from beneath his long eyelashes. Her brother was adorable, even at the age of twelve. Miku knew he would be handsome, when he grew older - he'd probably have girls flocking around him.

The way Len Kagamine had.

''I promise,'' Miku murmured, her hand cupping his cheek. Mikuo leant his cheek into her palm, then his fingers wrapped around her wrist as he pulled her into the house.

''I'm hungry,'' he complained, pouting. ''You didn't leave enough porridge.''

''I'll go make some now, you little monster,'' Miku ruffled his hair playfully. Reaching into her pocket, she counted out thirty dollars. ''Here's your pocket money for next week.''

Mikuo nodded and took it, his slight figure running up the stairs to his room. Miku smiled after her brother - he really was so cute.

She hoped he wouldn't become as corrupted as she was.


	4. Chapter 4

Len was staring lazily up at the ceiling, twirling a pen with his long, slender fingers. Yawning, he sat up, running his fingers through his rumpled blonde hair.

''I wonder if Miku's back from her appointment with Piko yet?'' he murmured, tilting his head. Rising from his bed, he went over to his window, drawing the curtains open. As he watched the Hatsunes' house, he saw Miku's bedroom lights switch on.

Len smiled. She was back. Probably leaving a very, _very _satisfied Piko Utatane behind. The smile instantly turned into a scowl as he walked away from the window, letting the curtains fall back into place. How annoying.

Why was it that she was willing to lie to Piko about loving him, yet she was unwilling to offer Len the same illusion? He would gladly take it, so long as he could hear the words ''I love you'' coming from her lips.

It didn't matter whether or not she loved him or not, so long as he could hear those three words coming from her. Hell, he'd probably stop bothering her so much if she was willing to give him just _one little taste..._

And she knew it. But she continued denying him, instead choosing to ignore his blatant affection for her. Len scowled once more, flicking his blonde hair out of his cerulean eyes.

''Len!'' Rin called his name from outside his room. He glanced at the door, then at the clock on the wall. It was already eleven - Rin had better had a good reason for bothering him.

''Yes, Rin?'' he asked. She opened the door and stepped into his room, her eyes immediately straying to the window. She grinned.

''Watching someone again, hm?'' she teased. Len's cheeks warmed, and immediately he averted his gaze, staring down at the floor.

''I wasn't,'' he snapped defensively, instantly giving himself away. ''I was going to go to bed when you suddenly came in. What do you want with me, anyway?'' he folded his arms.

''I've a piece of advice for you, my dear love-struck fool of a brother,'' Rin giggled. ''Miku really hates that you sleep around with so many girls. Maybe if you stopped doing that...''

''If I don't do that she won't notice me at all,'' Len muttered, dejected. ''I mean, I know she doesn't like that I do that, but admit it - if I didn't sleep around so much, she would have forgotten who I was when we started high school,'' he exhaled.

Rin just stared at him. ''We're neighbours, you idiot. Do you really think it'd be that easy for her to forget you? Not to mention the fact that you two were...let's see..._best friends, _maybe?'' she asked sarcastically.

''That was when we were young,'' Len retorted. ''It's all _different _now. She's beautiful, popular - she can have any guy she wants. And that makes the whole 'best friend' thing even worse - she sees me the way you see me. As a brother,'' he hung his head. ''Just a brother.''

Rin reached out to pat her brother's head as he stared down at the floor. Len was usually the happy-go-lucky type; it was only when matters involved Miku Hatsune did he ever become so depressed. She sighed.

''Then sleeping around is your bid to get her to notice you as someone with a dick,'' she said, admittedly a little crudely.

Len gaped at her. ''Rin, when did you learn such language?'' he said chidingly. ''If our parents hear you speak like that, you'd be grounded. For life.''

''That's not the point. You want her to notice you as a...male, and not as a brother. Is that it? Well, brother, sleeping around is _not _the way to win Miku Hatsune's affections. I can assure you of that,'' Rin folded her arms assuredly.

Len blinked up at her, sadness in his puppy-dog eyes. Rin knew that expression well - it was the look she wore when she was trying to get information out of someone. ''Then what should I do, if I want her to notice me? To...like me?''

''First of all, stop sleeping around.'' Rin said that in a matter-of-fact way, as though it was the easiest, most obvious thing in the world.

Len grimaced. ''That...would be easier said than done,'' he fidgeted uncomfortably, unwilling to do as his sister suggested. Rin gasped.

''Oh my god, my brother's a total man ho,'' she ducked as a pillow was hurled at her head, narrowly missing her face.

''Shut up, Rin.''

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Kaito Shion glanced at his phone. Should he text Rin? Or should he not? He really had feelings for her, but he didn't want her to feel like he was being too possessive or anything like that...and anyway, it was late. He didn't want to disturb her, or anything like that.

His phone buzzed then, and he wondered who had messaged him. Glancing down at his phone once more, his eyes widened - a text from _the _Miku Hatsune? How had she even gotten his number?

They were friends and all, but...honestly, sometimes he was surprised she even remembered his name. Though she was Rin's good friend, and he was Rin's boyfriend.

He knew her number from Len, though. Len had once used his phone to send a message to - oh. He supposed that was how Miku knew his number. After recovering from the initial surprise of having her text him, he read the message he had received from Miku Hatsune.

_Hey Kaito, Miku here. I'm going out tomorrow night, and I'm coming home late...and there's Mikuo to look after. Normally I'd ask Rin, but she's busy tomorrow too, and she told me to ask you. I don't trust Len, he'd corrupt Mikuo. So...do you mind looking after Mikuo, straight away after school? I'd pay you, if you want._

It would be nice to earn some extra cash, but Kaito frowned. He felt bad taking money from Miku - from what few hints Rin had dropped before, Miku wasn't exactly that high up in the money department.

Ah well, he was free tomorrow night anyway. _Sure, I'll do it. We're friends, aren't we? Though you might want to reconsider it. I'm no good at baby-sitting._

The reply was instantaneous. _Thank you! I'll be home by midnight. It's okay, Mikuo's an angel. I'll leave his favourite porridge on the table, so just give it to him at around nine. Thanks. See you in school tomorrow._

Kaito stared at the message, choosing not to reply. He had received a text from Miku Hatsune. This day was...a surprise.

He loved Rin, but he had to admit that he was rather taken in by Miku Hatsune's beauty. _Though that's not the reason I'm going to look after her brother, of course._

He wondered what he would do over there. Until midnight, huh? That was a lot of time. Maybe he could poke around the fridge there for a while, see if there was any ice cream.

_Actually, I'm wondering...I heard rumours from students in school that Mikuo Hatsune can be a little devil..._

_What have I gotten myself into?_


	5. Chapter 5

When Kaito bumped into Miku at school the next day, she had her arm wrapped around Gumo's waist. She shot him a smile as Kaito blinked. ''Hey, thanks for agreeing to look after my brother later! You're doing me a huge favour. I totally owe you,'' she chirped.

''No problem, but...why are you going to go back home so late anyway?'' Kaito cocked his head, slinging his bag further up his shoulder. Miku exchanged a quick glance with Gumo.

''Oh, nothing,'' she said evasively, even as Gumo draped an arm across her slim shoulders. ''I'm working tonight, so...I'm just busy.''

Kaito sensed that Miku wasn't comfortable with talking about this, so he just nodded at her, said bye and walked away. Though he did wonder what job needed her to work for so long.

Miku sighed. _I just blew another chance with Kaito...not that I was going to steal Rin's boyfriend from her. He probably thinks that I'm weird now. Or something._

Gumo laughed softly. ''I guess I ought to feel upset, that you're interested in _another guy..._but it doesn't matter to me,'' his green eyes slid over to meet hers. ''I'm nothing but a toy to you anyway.'' He didn't seem angered about that.

''I wasn't lying when I told you I loved you,'' Miku lied. Gumo just grinned, running his fingers through his thick green hair.

''And I wasn't lying when I said that I didn't mind the untruths you uttered,'' he said simply. ''I don't know, it's almost like you can't bring yourself to say the truth - that you're just using us all. You never loved any one of us.''

''That's not true,'' she narrowed her eyes at him. ''You wouldn't know anything, Gumo. And if you keep talking like this, I'm not going to your house tonight. You can rot by yourself.''

''You break my heart, Miku,'' Gumo rolled his eyes and sighed. ''Fine. I'll shut up.''

A pair of cerulean blue eyes were staring at the green-haired pair the whole while. Len Kagamine leant against the wall, next to the locker, out of sight. His teeth gritted.

_First Piko. Now Gumo. Is there anyone else on your list tonight, Miku? How many others do you plan to toy with before you're willing to give me one small chance?_

He suspected that the only boy who didn't react to Miku Hatsune's smiles was Kaito Shion, one of Len's best friends. His sister's boyfriend.

And probably, that was why Miku was so interested in him. Len wasn't blind - he saw the way Miku looked at the blue-haired boy. She wouldn't steal Rin's boyfriend, though, despite her interest. Despite her looks.

_I guess you can say that she's a good friend._

But Len didn't like that. Not one bit. If Miku knew that hers was a hopeless case, then why didn't she try to get rid of her infatuation with Kaito and go for someone more...available? He didn't think that Miku _really _liked him - no, Len thought that the reason why Miku was interested in Kaito Shion was because Kaito never expressed any interest in _her._

Why couldn't Miku like someone who actually wanted her? Someone like...Len?

After all, in what way was Len Kagamine inferior to Kaito Shion?

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Kaito arrived at Miku's house, right after school, as promised. He clutched her house keys in one hand - Miku had assured him that she had an extra pair - and with the other, he carried a small notebook filled with detailed instructions on how to take care of Mikuo.

Miku had found him after school, her still attached to Gumo, and passed him the two items. Kaito had felt a flutter of..._something, _seeing her so close to Gumo, though he hadn't known what was that feeling. It wasn't jealousy, he was very sure of that...he didn't dwell upon it though.

Now, he opened the small notebook. In it, in Miku's neat, cursive handwriting, was everything Kaito would need to know on how to handle Mikuo - from what was his favourite food to the time he was usually sent to bed.

It was obvious from the way Miku painstakingly written everything out that Miku Hatsune cared a _lot _for her younger brother. Kaito let a brief smile cross his lips.

He unlocked the door, stepping inside, and he saw a young boy, aged around twelve, run down the stairs to the living room. The boy stopped upon seeing him, and his green eyes, so like Miku's, narrowed.

''Who are you?'' Mikuo Hatsune folded his arms, staring at Kaito. ''Did my sister send you because she's coming home late?'' his voice turned sad. ''She promised she wouldn't come home late again...''

Kaito had to feel sorry for the boy. ''She did ask me to look after you till she comes back. You're Mikuo, aren't you? I'm Kaito Shion.''

''Kaito?'' The boy's green eyes lit up with interest, and he sidled closer to Kaito. ''I've heard that name before somewhere...'' he frowned. ''It's so _familiar..._ah well. So you're my babysitter?'' Mikuo pouted. ''I already told Sis before, I don't need one!''

''I guess she thinks otherwise?'' Kaito didn't know what to say. He crossed over to the living room's sofa and dumped his bag on it. ''Do you have any ice cream?''

''Yeah, but it's mine. Touch it and die,'' Mikuo smiled cheerfully at him, then went into the kitchen. Kaito stared, agape, after the boy, but decided against following after him.

He decided to start on homework, and he sat on the sofa next to his bag, intending to finish off his algebra homework. But scarcely ten minutes after he started, something was thrown against his head. Kaito blinked. _A cushion?_

''I'm bored,'' Mikuo complained, his hands on his hips. ''Play with me. Sis is so much more fun than you are. You're boring.''

''I'm doing my homework,'' Kaito explained patiently. Mikuo sniffed, a look of disdain on his face.

''Don't bother. It's a waste of time. Sis always makes time for me,'' Mikuo sighed dramatically, then went over to sit next to Kaito, staring at the worksheets. Kaito ignored the boy and continued with his work.

Three minutes later, Mikuo was bouncing on the sofa, causing Kaito's pens and papers to fly everywhere. Mikuo then stuck his head in Kaito's line of vision and started pulling weird faces at him, sticking out his tongue.

Kaito didn't know whether to be irritated or amused. ''Fine. I'll play with you. How does Miku stand you?'' he sighed.

Mikuo jumped up on the sofa, tumbling onto the floor. He grinned, taking Kaito's hand, then dragged him up the staircase. Making his way over to one of the doors, he cast Kaito a furtive glance before pushing the door open.

''I remembered where I saw your name!'' Mikuo announced, stepping into the room. Kaito held back - it was obviously a _girl's _room. Miku's room. And he didn't want to intrude.

''Come in, Sis isn't around anyway!'' Mikuo beckoned impatiently. ''You _have _to see this.'' Losing patience, he pushed Kaito into the room. Kaito sighed once more.

Mikuo was clearly someone used to getting his way. Kaito could tell that Miku had definitely spoilt him too much. He was cute, but...at the same time, he was incredibly annoying.

Mikuo was messing around with some books on Miku's desk. Quickly, he snatched one up, then flipped open to a page. He held the book up, and Kaito gave in, reading what seemed to be a diary entry. In Miku's diary.

As he read, he couldn't seem to process the words. They seemed so...unlikely. They didn't make any sense to his befuddled brain - because it was completely impossible that Miku Hatsune liked him.

Yet, it was written out in her diary, in that same cursive handwriting. She, Miku Hatsune, the beautiful, desired one, liked Kaito Shion.

''You didn't know that, did you?'' Mikuo cocked his head up at him. ''I hear Sis sighing about you sometimes. She told me she liked someone who's already taken. That's you, isn't it?''

''I don't know,'' Kaito said bluntly. Mikuo closed the book, returning it to its original position.

''Look, I don't care who you are to my sister, I just don't want her to get hurt.'' At that moment, Mikuo didn't sound like a mere twelve-year-old. ''She spent her whole life looking after me, ever since Mum and Dad died, and I love her. She doesn't deserve to be hurt by you.''

''Yes. I know that,'' Kaito ran his fingers in confusion through his dark blue hair. The Miku Hatsune he knew had completely no interest in him. ''But I love Rin Kagamine.'' His blue eyes clashed with Mikuo's green ones. ''You want your sister to be happy, don't you?''

Mikuo nodded, looking suspicious. Kaito thought for a while. ''I know someone who _really _loves your sister, though she doesn't return those feelings...though they're a perfect match. And I think that if your sister would just _accept _his feelings, she'd be much happier than if she were to...'' he hesitated, ''like me.''

''Who?'' Mikuo's emerald eyes lit up with interest. ''Is it someone I know?''

''Probably,'' Kaito smiled. ''Have you ever heard of someone named Len Kagamine?''


	6. Chapter 6

Miku stretched, rotating her shoulders as she walked home. Her hand went to her neck, and she hissed - Gumo had given her a hickey. She wondered how she was going to hide that, tomorrow...sighing, she unlocked the gate.

As the gates creaked, swinging forward, the door was thrown open and her little brother ran out of the house, him burying his face in her stomach. ''Sis!'' he said happily.

She ruffled his teal-coloured hair. ''It's late, shouldn't you be asleep?'' she chided softly. He tilted his face up, his large eyes staring innocently at her.

''I was waiting for Sis to come home,'' he mumbled, glancing up at her from beneath his long, thick eyelashes. ''You promised that you wouldn't come home late again...''

Miku knelt so she was face-to-face with her brother. ''I'm sorry,'' she whispered, her hands reaching out to cup his face. ''Sis needs to work, Mikuo...we need to earn money.''

A determined light entered his vivid eyes. ''Then I'll work, so you don't have to stay out so late anymore! Please?''

She laughed softly, kissing him on the forehead. ''You can't, Mikuo...you need to study. You're too young to work. Leave it all to me, okay?''

''But he's right, you really _are _home late,'' a whistle sounded from the door, and she glanced up to see Kaito Shion leaning against the door frame. He looked exhausted, his dark blue hair tousled and rumpled.

''Why didn't you send him to bed?'' Miku asked, not accusatory. She knew how Mikuo could be like, but she asked anyway.

''He refused to go to sleep. He said he wanted to wait for you,'' Kaito yawned, rubbing tiredly at his eyelids. ''It's one in the morning, Miku...I didn't expect you'd be out this late. If you really work this late every night, I salute you.''

''I'm sorry,'' she mumbled. ''I worked longer than expected, today.'' Gumo usually wasn't so possessive. ''If there's anything I can do to make it up to you...''

Kaito's aquamarine eyes sparked with an idea. ''Yeah. How about we make a bet?'' he smiled. ''You always say that Len only finds you a passing attraction, that it would wear off fast...don't you?''

Miku nodded, suspicious. ''Why the sudden question? How's that related to your bet?''

''Well, if you can make him lose interest in you within a month, then I promise to babysit Mikuo while you work for the rest of the year,'' Kaito winced. ''You have no idea how much it pains me to say that.''

Miku blinked. ''You'd do that...for free?'' she cocked her head up at Kaito, ignoring Mikuo's horrified look.

''I would. I don't break my promises,'' Kaito sighed. ''But you have to treat him normally...you have to give him a chance and not just give him the cold shoulder, like now.''

Her eyes narrowed. ''So you're betting that, if I give him a chance and he still loses interest in me after a month, you'd offer your babysitting skills for Mikuo, free of charge?'' Whatever sounded too good to be true was probably fake. Miku had a realistic view of life.

Kaito nodded. ''Your brother's a monster,'' he said flatly. ''And he almost made me vomit blood tonight. Thanks to him, I haven't been able to finish any of today's homework.''

''Really?'' Miku's eyes widened in surprise. She stared down at her brother, who was looking away, whistling. ''Mikuo...''

''He was boring me, Sis,'' Mikuo complained. ''He wasn't any fun. It was just, 'do your homework. Eat your dinner. Brush your teeth. Stop watching television.' Do this, do that, the whole night! I nearly _died _from boredom, Sis...''

''I'm sorry,'' Miku smiled sheepishly at Kaito, who was glaring at Mikuo. ''Mikuo can be a little...demanding at times.''

''Only if Sis isn't around,'' Mikuo piped up, grinning. ''I'm an angel, aren't I?''

''Yes, yes, you're my little angel,'' Miku ruffled his hair, and Kaito pretended to gag. She ignored that. ''So...since you can't stand Mikuo, are you sure you want to bet with me?'' her lips tilted up into a smile. ''I mean, I think the chances of me winning are pretty high.''

Kaito smirked. ''I like bets. And don't be so confident, Miku,'' he winked. ''After all, you don't know what Len's thinking anymore, do you? Even though you used to be best friends.''

''How did you know that?'' Miku stiffened. Kaito shrugged, running his fingers through his thick blue hair.

''Rin told me,'' he said simply. ''Anyway...I'll see you in school tomorrow, then,'' he grinned. ''Don't forget about the bet, Miku!'' With that, he brushed past her and her brother and strode out of the gates, into the night.

Mikuo shook her. ''Sis! Let's go back in,'' he tugged on her hand. She patted his head, then walked to the gates and locked them. Slowly, she followed her brother into the house.

What had prompted Kaito to make such a bet with her? Her heart fluttered as she remembered the way he had smiled at her - he was just so _kind, _so _genuine, _nothing at all like the arrogant, playboy Len Kagamine.

Had Len been the one who had urged Kaito to make that bet with her? For him? Well, to Miku it didn't matter - Len was notorious for his short attention span. He was bound to focus on someone else, after she allowed him the chance to be with her for a while.

She was sure that the only reason why Len was interested in her was because she was a challenge he could not conquer. She was the only girl who didn't swoon at his smiles, who didn't submit to him.

Was she supposed to do that, then? In order to win the bet? She wanted to do that - she wanted to be able to see Kaito more often. Even if he was taken. _Just seeing him, and doing nothing else...it won't do any harm, will it?_

''Go to sleep, Mikuo,'' she said absently. Mikuo pouted at her, then ran up the stairs to his room. She sighed and slumped down on the living room's sofa - there was work to do.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

''She actually agreed to that kind of bet?'' Len muttered, staring at the text he had just received from Kaito. He sighed - trust him to have to rely on his sister's boyfriend, for a chance with Miku Hatsune.

Still, he couldn't deny the excitement he felt. Miku would finally be treating him normally, not as a mere...brother. And he might finally have her as his.

_I wonder if I can make her forget about Kaito?_


	7. Chapter 7

_Hey...promise me one thing at least...even if you don't want me, pretend that you do, okay? Because that's all I want._

Miku felt her lips dip into a frown as the familiar words suddenly floated through her mind. Familiar? Yes, because she could just imagine Len saying them to her. It was something he would say, most definitely, and she wondered if he would still say those words, now that she was going to give him a chance.

She smiled half-heartedly. Len would lose interest in a week, at the very most. Her eyes flicked up to the clock on the wall - it was almost time for school. ''Mikuo! Eat faster! You're going to miss the bus,'' she warned her brother. Mikuo sighed.

Slowly, deliberately, he bit into his peanut butter sandwich, then chewed carefully before swallowing. ''But if I eat too quickly, I'll choke,'' he pouted, a peanut butter stain on his cheek. Miku frowned at her brother.

Mikuo was still unhappy that she had returned home so late last night, even though she had promised she wouldn't come home late ever again. She understood that, however - she wouldn't be happy if someone had broken a promise they made to her, too. Miku hadn't had a choice, though - they needed the money.

He also wasn't too pleased that she had made that bet with Kaito. Miku somehow got the feeling that her brother was not very impressed by Kaito's baby-sitting ability.

Reaching over, she wiped the stain off his skin. ''Don't do this just to spite me, Mikuo,'' she huffed at her occasionally annoying younger brother. ''Anyway, I'm leaving now, so if you want to continue eating at this speed...''

''No, wait for me!'' Hurriedly, Mikuo stuffed the rest of the sandwich in his mouth, chewing furiously. He glared at her with his cheeks puffed out, and Miku resisted the urge to laugh. ''Happy now?'' his voice was muffled, and turning he stomped out of the kitchen.

''Aw, don't get all mad at your sister now,'' Miku teased her brother, easily keeping up with her longer stride. He swallowed, then stuck his tongue out at her, his sulkiness already gone.

''My bus!'' his eyes widened as he saw the bus coming to the bus stop. Waving goodbye at her, he ran to the stop, catching the bus just in time. Miku waved back as the bus quickly drove off, turning the corner and disappearing.

''You really love him, don't you?'' Miku whirled around as someone spoke behind her, and her eyes widened. Len was looking in the direction she had been staring at, his eyes narrowed in thought. ''Your little brother.''

''Len,'' she said expressionlessly. ''Don't you normally walk to school with Rin?''

Len shrugged, leaning against the gates of her house. His blonde hair fell over his eyes, and in an annoyed gesture he flicked the thick strands away. ''Normally. But she told me to walk with you today, and...well, I don't see why I should say no,'' he shrugged again, looking bored.

_Did Kaito tell Rin about the bet? Is that why Rin told Len to walk with me? Because Len normally wouldn't do that._

''Whatever,'' she finally muttered. Shouldering her bag, she strode off, in the direction of their school, and she could hear Len laughing quietly behind her, clearly amused. Her teeth gritted.

_It has been a really long time since I was around him...just the two of us, walking to school together. Usually, Rin's with us. I'm not used to being alone with him. It feels...odd, between us. Too tense._

She missed back when they had been children and neighbours. There hadn't been any of this relationship stuff. They were just friends. Good friends. And even when people her teased her about Len, she knew that it hadn't been true, then - they were simply good friends.

He had never admitted anything then, so why the sudden interest in her now? It made things between them just so...awkward. She didn't know what to say, and she had the feeling that Len didn't really know what to talk about, either. There had been a time when they were able to talk about anything under the sun.

They were no longer at that age anymore. Miku sighed. ''So, do you have any plans after school today or anything?'' she started, hesitantly.

Len's cerulean eyes flickered with surprise. She had always noticed his eyes. Although she had never had any romantic interest in her friend, she had always noticed his eyes. They were clear and calm, like twin lakes. Those eyes could calm her when she was stressed, could cheer her up when she was feeling upset.

''I don't really have much planned,'' he admitted, shrugging casually. ''I was just going to go home and eat all the food. Including Rin's favourite orange cake.'' At that, Miku felt a smile flicker across her lips - Rin would hate her brother for that.

He glanced up at her from underneath his long eyelashes, those cerulean pools making her stomach feel...weird. ''Want to hang out?''

She didn't have anything else on today, anyway. Might as well. ''Sure. Why not?''

Surprise flared in those blue eyes, but then it was quickly smothered, replaced by the usual coolness which made all the girls he talked to swoon. ''I won't do anything you don't want me to do,'' he grinned flirtatiously.

She felt her cheeks warm. ''You're so sick-minded,'' she muttered. ''Everything you say has some kind of sexual reference,'' she continued ranting. She felt fingers wrap around her wrist then, and startled she glanced at him.

His face was blank. ''I don't think there's anything wrong with admitting that I like sex,'' he said bluntly. ''Anyone who denies that is a liar. Humans are base creatures,'' he leant close to her, whispering in her ear. ''We can't control our basic urges - eat. Breathe. Sex.''

She pulled away from him, feeling slightly uncomfortable. Perhaps she shouldn't have accepted that bet with Kaito - giving _this _seductive Len a chance might cause her to lose her very sanity.

''But we're supposed to have evolved from those basic urges. We're not like dogs in heat, unable to control ourselves,'' she pointed out.

He shrugged yet again, the teasing light re-entering his wicked eyes. ''Maybe you evolved. I haven't. And so, I don't think there's any need for me to pretend I don't like sex,'' he winked.

''You're such a pervert!'' she huffed and walked away from him. He easily caught up with her, since his legs were longer than hers. He looked contrite.

''Don't be such a prude, Miku,'' he drawled. ''Fine. Don't listen to this pervert, then,'' he ran his fingers through his blonde hair, the look of boredom returning to his face. Miku didn't know what to say, so she didn't respond.

They walked in silence until they reached their school, then Len suddenly seized her wrist, turning her around and pulling her close. He cast a furtive glance around to make sure that no one was looking at them.

He leant down so that his lips brushed her ear, and she felt herself shiver - he was too close. Way too close. And she wasn't used to having him in such close proximity.

''Kaito told me about your little bet,'' he murmured in her ear, his cool breath brushing lightly against her sensitive skin. ''I know you're supposed to give me a chance - that's why you actually talked to me today.''

Miku gaped at him, dumbfounded. He continued. ''Even if it's just a bet, even though all this is just a show, Miku, I'm satisfied. So long as you allow me a small chance...'' his whisper faded, his fingers reaching up to brush her cheek.

''And what do you want this small chance for?'' she asked, her voice as soft as his. ''If you know that all this is a facade, then why do you even bother?'' she mumbled. He smirked.

''Because with this small chance, I'd know what it's like for you to finally be mine,'' he breathed. ''And I can try to change your mind about Kaito. Just trying wouldn't hurt, right?''

Miku blinked at him, shocked. ''Kaito...? How did you know about Kaito?''

He smirked at her. ''I've been watching you for longer than you think, Miku,'' he said simply. Then he released her and walked into the school, shrugging off his crowd of ardent admirers. Miku stared after him, reeling.

Why had that last line sounded like both a compliment and a threat?


	8. Chapter 8

''Hey, what are you going to do about your bet with Kaito?'' Rin asked Miku during break. Miku shrugged, glancing up at Len's twin sister, who was staring down at her inquisitively. ''Kaito told me about it...and I think it's great, that you're giving Len a chance.''

''I don't want to give Len a chance,'' Miku muttered as she bit into her leek sandwich. ''He...I don't know, Rin,'' she swallowed the mouthful of leek and bread. ''I mean, I don't know how I'm supposed to treat him. I've never had an actual boyfriend before.''

She only ever had those boys whose affections she toyed with. She didn't have an actual, proper boyfriend, nor had she ever had one - she didn't know how to get into a serious relationship with a boy. Not that way.

''Maybe you should give Len a try,'' Rin cocked her head. ''It's not a passing fling, you know. At least, not for him. He really does like you.''

Miku shot her best friend a look. ''Right. And I'm a unicorn,'' she snorted. ''Len Kagamine doesn't even know what's the meaning of like. He's just a perverted sex maniac out to get into the pants of every single girl he sees, and he -''

''I have standards, you know,'' Len drawled from behind her, and Miku and Rin instantly turned around to stare at the blonde boy. He grinned lazily back at them, though his gaze was fixed firmly on Miku. The intensity of his gaze made her shiver, for some reason.

''We all know you have standards, Len,'' Rin rolled her eyes. ''So long as they have a name, they're healthy, and they have boobs, you're satisfied. I don't call that much of a standard.''

Len exhaled, feigning shock. ''Rin! When did you learn such a word?'' he blinked at her. ''If our parents ever hear you saying the word boo-''

''Len, if you threaten me with our parents one more time, I'm going to tell them exactly why you always stay out so late. And they won't be happy when they realise it isn't for school.''

Len blanched. ''Fine. You win this round, Rin.'' His cerulean eyes slid over to meet Miku's, who was watching the exchange between brother and sister with amusement. ''Hey.''

''Len,'' Miku acknowledged. His lips tilted up into a grin as he propped his chin up on his fist, his elbow placed on the table. She couldn't deny that he was handsome - but he was still someone who broke hearts and slept around, all for his own pleasure and leisure.

''So formal,'' he breathed. ''What have I ever done to receive this kind of treatment from you, Miku?'' he sighed. ''After all, didn't we use to be best friends, back in the past?''

''That's the past,'' Miku said softly. ''And the past should remain in the past. There's no point in dragging up shattered memories and broken promises, is there?''

Len gazed back at her, his eyes unreadable. Rin fidgeted a little in her seat, then placed her hand on Miku's shoulder. ''I guess I'll leave you two alone, then,'' she murmured, rising from the bench. She walked away, leaving Miku all alone with Len.

They were seated in a private corner of the courtyard. Miku had never really liked eating in the cafeteria - it was too crowded, and it was difficult to find a good seat. Eating in the courtyard was better. It was cooler outside, and there were much fewer people.

''Broken promises?'' Len murmured, and startled Miku glanced up at him. He had edged closer to her, and she didn't know whether she should stay where she was, or move away. She decided not to move.

''Broken,'' she echoed. ''They're all part of the past. There's no point in raking up the past, is there? The past is like autumn leaves, falling to the ground...'' she stared at her sandwich.

''Tell me one broken promise we made to each other, then,'' Len said softly, his cerulean eyes, just like a summer sky, looking haunted. Miku blinked at her sandwich. ''A broken promise. A forgotten one, discarded and lonely.''

''Promise? Us?'' she hesitated. ''Since when have we ever broken any of our promises to each other?'' she asked quietly. ''We've never promised each other anything, have we? And...I don't want to think about our past.''

His eyes flashed. ''You really can't remember, then,'' he said bitterly. ''You told me so, when you were young. You promised me. I promised you. We promised each other - that we _were _promised to each other, remember?''

His fingers wrapped around her wrists, tugging her to him, and she stared up at him, shocked. His eyes searched hers, and then swiftly he leant down, his mouth covering hers.

She froze, but then she let him kiss her. It was a sweet kiss, nothing like the passionate ones Len Kagamine was known for giving other girls. She wondered why he wasn't kissing her that way. Wouldn't he want to do that?

The taste of cinnamon. Spicy, spicy cinnamon, addictive and wonderful. She wasn't surprised that so many girls desired his touch, his kisses - she didn't want to admit that she enjoyed the kiss. Especially since she didn't have any feelings for him. He was a skilled kisser, and she enjoyed that kiss. That was all.

He pulled away slowly, leaving lingering kisses, the two of them nipping at each other's lips as they pulled away. He was breathing hard as he leant his forehead against hers, and his fingers reached up to cup her cheek.

Miku felt unsettled. She didn't like him, not at all, not that way - so why did the haunted look in his eyes make her feel so guilty? And why did she enjoy that kiss between them so much?

Most of all...why had she kissed him back? It made no sense whatsoever. The only reason she had allowed this was because...she was supposed to be giving him a chance.

''You really forgot our promise to each other?'' he mumbled, averting his gaze. He sounded so hurt - nothing like the cocky Len Kagamine she knew. He sounded like he had in the past - the shy little boy who had been her best friend.

And she remembered. With a gasp, she suddenly knew exactly what he was talking about - the exact promise they had made to each other, when they were both little children, too young to know any better.

_What is like? It's when someone is fond of another person. Well, Miku is fond of Len, so she likes him, right? When Miku grows up, she wants to marry Len..._

_Len wants to marry Miku, too. Miku will promise she won't like anyone else, right? When she grows up, she'll marry Len?_

_Miku promises. And will Len marry Miku when she grows up, even if no one else likes her? Even if no one else wants to marry her?_

_...Yes. I will. I won't ever want to marry anyone else, Miku. I want to be with you, the way Mum and Dad are together._

Too young to know what was the meaning of love, they had promised themselves to each other that day. Miku had liked Len as a friend, and Len had felt the same way about her - and because of that like, they had promised to marry only each other when they grew up.

''Forgotten promises and shattered hopes,'' Len whispered, his fingers running against her cheek. ''Is that all we are? Is that the only thing which came out of our promise, Miku?

''But at that time, when we promised each other, we had only liked each other as friends, hadn't we?'' she breathed, and Len's cerulean eyes narrowed at her.

''Maybe you did,'' he said emptily. ''I didn't. Even then, Miku, I liked you as more than a friend - but I didn't dare to tell you because you've always hated the idea of me liking you as more. Remember?'' he probed.

She remembered. ''Then why do you still think about that promise? We were nothing but innocent children then. We didn't know what was marriage, at that time. It's different, now. Everything is different.''

''I remember, because the girl I want to marry when I grow up has never changed.'' Len glanced away. ''But then, you don't feel the same way, do you? You think I'm nothing more than an annoyance, that I'll tire of you soon.'' His blue eyes met hers. ''It's not going to happen, Miku. I'm not going to break that promise.''

''I don't hold you to that promise, you know. We were too young to know any better. And we're no longer best friends anymore, are we?''

''Maybe,'' he whispered. ''But I don't want anyone else, Miku. Maybe Rin has told you, I don't know - no matter how many girls I fool around with, you're the only one who really holds a place in my heart.'' With that, he rose, and without a backwards glance, he left her.

Miku stared after him, lifting her fingers to her lips. She didn't like him that way - he was still nothing more than a good friend. A reminder of their promise to each other didn't change that - she had never once liked him as anything more. As what he wanted to be.

So why was her heart beating so rapidly?


	9. Chapter 9

_I shouldn't have reminded her about everything...it's just adding on to her confusion. I can see it in her eyes, her regrets and her pain, and I really hate the way I reminded her of happier times._

Len scowled, letting his fingers comb through his messy fringe. The blonde hair was a stark contrast against his pale skin, especially with the way the hair glimmered under the rays of the sun, catching it and turning it the colour of spun gold. He cast a glance in the direction of the classroom - class had already started.

He didn't intend to go for the lesson. He didn't want to face Miku, especially not after he had just poured his heart out to her. The look on her face...the way she had tried to deny everything...it hurt, though he had tried not to show any of that pain on his face.

The promise that they had shared, so long ago, in happier times...sometimes, he wondered why he could still remember it. It was a stupid promise, a foolish promise made during the naivety of youth, and in a way he regretted promising Miku that he would marry her when they grew up. Len didn't break his promises, no matter how old he was, and besides he wanted to be with Miku that way.

It was just that...she didn't appear to share the same sentiments, which just tore at him. Not to mention, it was irritating. Len gritted his teeth and walked away from his classroom, his hands shoved into the pockets of his pants. It didn't matter whether or not he showed up for this lesson - he understood everything. Missing just one pathetic little lesson wasn't going to threaten his first in class position.

He had known that Miku had problems, ever since ages ago. After the death of her parents, back when she and her brother had been mere children. Miku had been fifteen then, when her parents had died in a car crash. For a while, after the accident, she and her brother had disappeared without any trace.

After five months, the siblings had returned to their former home, which hadn't been repossessed by the government. When Len and Rin asked Miku where they had been in the five months they had disappeared, all Miku had said was that they had went to stay with their aunt for a while. She had kept quiet when the twins had pressed her for more information.

Len didn't know how Miku got her money now. She, and she alone, supported herself and her little brother, aged twelve. She wouldn't tell him anything, and he was unwilling to probe - every time he tried, Miku would glare at him, refusing to talk to him anymore. So he quickly learnt to shut up about her supposed job.

He hoped that she wasn't doing anything illegal. He wondered if, perhaps their parents had left them an inheritance...usually minors weren't allowed access to their inheritances, and Miku was still a minor since she hadn't reached her eighteenth birthday yet - but perhaps the government had made an exception for her, given her...circumstances?

There was something different about Miku now, though Len couldn't place his finger on what the change was. He just sensed that something about his childhood love had changed, turned her from vibrant and joyful to sad and determined. He wanted to know what had happened to her - he wanted to help her, if she needed so. But she insisted that she could support herself, that she didn't require any external help, not even from Len.

Her claim was that there was nothing wrong, and though he tried hard to believe the words that she uttered, no matter how much he tried to trick himself into believing her words he couldn't convince himself that she was speaking the truth. He knew her well enough to know when she was lying, and when she was speaking words of truth.

There was something off about her now. She was secretive, wary - and he knew that she didn't trust him as much as she once did. Maybe it was because they were no longer best friends. Miku and Rin were good friends now. Len had asked his twin sister to find out why Miku was so different, before, but apparently Miku had refused to tell even Rin anything.

Len wanted to help Miku in any way he could, but how could he unless she was willing to tell him something? He barely knew her anymore - he didn't know how she supported herself and her brother. And he didn't know why she had suddenly changed so drastically - the innocent girl he had once known was now exactly like him. She was, to boys, what he was to girls.

A flirt. A gorgeous, seductive heart breaker who built people up and tore them down. Someone who whispered false promises and deadly sweet little lies, someone who left before the sun could rise. Hot passion in the night, waking up alone to a cold, empty bed - that was what both Len and Miku did, to anyone who wanted that...except for each other.

And he didn't know why she had changed. Len, he had always been like that - but Miku was different. Miku had been sweet and naive, almost child-like, until her parents' deaths. After the five months she had left, she had changed, and he didn't know why. The more he probed, the more distant she became, until the point when he feared that he would lose her. So he had stopped asking her questions about her private life - though he wanted to know more.

He had made a few attempts to find out more about her private life - through her younger brother, and through stalking her. Both methods had proved quite useless. Mikuo was as tight-lipped as his sister, and following Miku didn't reveal anything strange. All following her did was confuse the hell out of Len.

She seemed so happy at some times, and so upset at others. Sometimes, she was serious, and at other times she was a seductive temptress. She was a mix of playfulness and sultriness - and she made him want her so badly. So badly that he could barely control himself, at times. He just...wanted her.

_Forget about me, _she had told him before. _Forget about me and live a better life. You have no lack of admirers. If you forget about me, you'll find someone you will really be able to love, someone better than I am._

Although he loved her, she had believed that it was all a lie. He wondered what he had to do, in order to make her believe that his feelings for her were real...that they had been around for a long time, and they weren't going to fade any time soon. His love was genuine, but he wondered if it was lacking. If there was something about his feelings for her that she found insufficient - if this lack of passion was the reason she didn't believe his words.

_She's just like a rose, blooming coldly under a half-hearted love...a forgotten promise, a relationship based on memories and lies._


	10. Chapter 10

''If I give Len a chance,'' Miku asked Rin outside class, ''does that mean I can't flirt with anyone?'' It was after school, and Miku and Rin were outside in the hallway, at their lockers.

Rin shut her locker door, turning to face Miku with a faint expression of incredulity on her face. ''If you give Len a chance, then that kind of means you're his girlfriend...for now,'' she added at the look on Miku's face. ''He's not going to like it if you go around flirting.''

''But it's Len. He's not exactly innocent, himself,'' Miku argued. ''If he still chats up every single girl he meets, then I don't see why I can't do the same to guys,'' she pouted.

She couldn't stop luring people in. If she did, how was she going to earn any money? And still make time for Mikuo? Mikuo was young - she felt bad enough, having to return home so late just because of what she did for a living.

Rin sighed, shaking her head. ''I have no idea why the two of you are such big flirts,'' she muttered. ''Well, Miku, Len hasn't been doing anything with anyone the whole day today -''

''Because he wasn't in class,'' Miku interrupted, pointing the fact out dully. ''He showed up in the morning, but he disappeared afterwards. He wasn't in any of our classes.''

''He wasn't?'' Rin blinked. ''Oh. Right. No wonder I felt a little strange...like something wasn't quite right, today.'' She frowned. ''I better check out what's he up to. He doesn't skip lessons - well, not anymore, at least...'' she mumbled.

Miku watched as Rin fumbled for her phone in her pocket. She yanked it out, the orange little charms swinging wildly as she called her brother. Both of them waited as the phone rang, wondering whether Len would pick up.

''Hello?'' Rin finally spoke. Miku, somewhat unwillingly, paid attention to their conversation. Or more accurately, to Rin's side of the conversation. It wasn't like she could hear anything that Len was saying, at the moment. ''Why didn't you come for class - oh. You're ill? That's terrible. Why didn't you tell me?''

Rin listened for a while, nodding absent-mindedly. Unconsciously, Miku reached up, combing her fingers through her long, untied teal hair. Len was ill? But he had seemed perfectly fine earlier - how had he suddenly fallen sick like that? What had happened to him? Then she wondered why she even cared.

''Really.'' Rin sounded unconvinced. ''Are you serious? Fine. Remember to take some aspirin and all that. It's in the medicine cabinet. Bye.''

With that, she removed the phone from her ear, sighing and shaking her head. Miku arched an eyebrow at her blonde best friend. ''Why, what happened to Len? Why didn't he show up in class today?'' she tried to keep any traces of concern out of her voice. She was just curious.

''He claims he was suddenly struck by a terrible headache after he talked to us, and that he had to go back home to rest or else his head was going to explode and splatter the rest of the class with little bits of grey matter.''

Miku winced. It wasn't a very pleasant mental image. ''I see. Well. I hope he feels better soon?'' she hedged. Rin laughed softly.

''Personally, if you ask me, I think he's faking it,'' she said with a roll of her cerulean eyes. ''I mean, Len doesn't get headaches. Ever. So it's actually just a pretty lousy reason to skip school. Anyway...even if he was ill, I'd be able to tell. He sounded perfectly fine.''

Miku exhaled, puffing her cheeks out. ''What a bum,'' she mumbled. ''We all know that he's a genius and everything, but that doesn't mean he can just skip lessons as and when he wants.''

Rin sighed in agreement, glancing at the screen of her phone. ''And now, he says that he's dying...'' her eyes scanned the screen, ''and that he wants me to come home and wait on him. No way,'' she snorted. ''I have a date with Kaito, and I'm not going home just to entertain him!'' She huffed, turning to face Miku.

Miku had this strange sense of foreboding. ''You don't have to give in to what he wants,'' she suggested as Rin's eyes sparked with a devious idea. Miku wondered what kind of plans Rin had in mind. She didn't think she would like them.

''I got it,'' Rin announced. ''Miku, why don't you drop by my house and keep Len company? I'm sorry,'' she added at the horrified look on Miku's face, ''but if Len doesn't get some kind of company when he requested for some, he'll get annoyed. And Len when he's annoyed is pretty...annoying. Please, Miku?''

''Tell him to go out and find something to do! I mean, he's not really ill, he's just pretending to be sick so he won't have to attend class! Right? So he can go out if he wants to do so.''

''He says he can't crawl out of bed because he's just so sick,'' Rin rolled her eyes again, this time in disdain. ''He's a lousy liar. He just can't be bothered to walk out of his room, that idiot.''

Cerulean eyes met her own emerald ones, a pleading look in them. Rin stuck out her lower lip, letting it quiver a little as she pouted at her. Miku swore there were tears in those large, limpid blue eyes. ''Please, Miku?'' she whined.

Miku sighed. At that moment, the look on Rin's face reminded her so much of Mikuo, she couldn't bring herself to reject her request. ''Fine. But you owe me big time. I can't believe you're making me entertain your spoilt kid brother,'' she muttered softly. Rin beamed.

''Thank you so much!'' she squealed, holding on to Miku's hands tightly. ''You know how grumpy Len can get when he doesn't get his way! Luckily you agreed to take my place,'' she giggled. ''I'll see you tonight then, Miku! Maybe you and Len can have some _fun,_'' she winked.

Miku felt her cheeks warm at Rin's innuendo. ''Rin! I don't like him that way!'' she snapped, frustrated. She _didn't _like Len. No. Just no. And anyway, she wondered whether she could even bring herself to face him normally, after what had happened between them this morning.

After the reminder of their childhood promise, after the way he had kissed her...it would be a lie to say that she was unaffected by the whole episode. Len's words then, the look in his eyes as he stared at her - they _had _affected her, though she didn't want to admit it.

Rin pulled away with one last goodbye, running off to the other side of campus, to the university building, to find her boyfriend. Kaito. He was already in college, while Rin was a high school senior - they were only one year apart, yet it was so hard for them to meet. Miku's lips flicked up into a painful smile.

She still liked Kaito, as she always had. And he was still Rin's boyfriend, like he always had been. Nothing she did could change that - nor did she want to do anything to wreck her best friend's relationship with her boyfriend. Miku might sleep around with boys, and plenty of them, but she wasn't a bitch. Well, at least she didn't think that she was one.

And she had to be strangely thankful that Kaito wasn't her boyfriend. If she had to juggle both her studies and hanging out with her college boyfriend, who she couldn't see during school curriculum, like the way Rin had to, Miku thought she would have given up long ago.

She simply just didn't possess the same drive as Rin, the same doggedness and ability to make everything work out. She wasn't as determined as Rin was...and maybe that was why Kaito was Rin's boyfriend, and not hers. Miku couldn't bring herself to expend the same amount of effort as Rin, just to meet up with someone who wasn't in the same school as she was. It would be far too troublesome - and she couldn't afford the time. She still had Mikuo to look after.

Glancing at her watch, she sighed. Well, she had promised Rin that she would...entertain Len. So that Len wouldn't get grumpy and go insane all over Rin when she returned home. Miku wasn't the type of person to break a promise. And she had told Mikuo that she would be home late tonight - one of her friends, Gumi, was looking after Mikuo today. Normally it was Rin, but she was out with Kaito...so she had asked Gumi.

She hoped that Gumi wouldn't end up as frustrated as Kaito had, the other night. Mikuo could be a little monster when it came to new babysitters. He hated babysitters with a passion, insisting that he could take care of himself - Miku disagreed, though.

She had told him that she would be late as she originally had an _appointment _with Mikio - except he had cancelled at the last moment, saying that he was too busy. She didn't mind, either way. There would always be others...or so she had thought. Now, it appeared that her time would be taken for the rest of the day.

She stared at her watch, then sighed dejectedly. Stupid Len Kagamine. He was being such a lazy jerk. Couldn't he just do something, _anything,_ to entertain himself? How did Rin put up with him? How had _she _ever put up with him, when they had been younger? Whatever.

Miku wondered if she was being upset just because she didn't want to face Len. Shaking her head, she pushed the questioning little thought to the back of her mind.

_One babysitter for Len, coming right up._

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

Len groaned as he heard the doorbell ring. Was it Rin? It was probably Rin. No, it had to be Rin - no one else would ring the doorbell so impatiently. Just to irritate him, no doubt. And it wasn't like he was expecting any visitors today or whatever. Ugh. Rin could be so irritating.

''I'm coming already,'' he called out, climbing off the couch in the living room, where he sat watching television. He could feel himself dying from boredom - but he didn't know what else to do. His laziness didn't help either. He was at that stage where he was so lazy, he refused to do anything - even if boredom was killing him. The television was draining his soul.

Even school would have been better this. Hell, even facing Miku after that whole embarrassing episode would have been better than _this. _He was just rotting away at home, bored out of his mind, and now his sister was here to finally alleviate some of his boredom and -

He stared. Teal hair which fell all the way to slender hips, narrowed emerald eyes and full, soft pouty lips which he just _couldn't _tear his eyes away from, for some reason. Miku folded her arms across her chest as he stared at her, unable to believe what his eyes were telling him. Was Miku really here, outside his door?

_Please tell me I'm dreaming. I skipped school so I wouldn't have to face her - what is she doing here? I bet all this is Rin's doing...I'm going to kill her when she comes back home._

''So, Len. Are you going to leave me standing out here the whole day?'' Miku's voice broke into his thoughts, dripping with sarcasm. Her green eyes regarded him suspiciously. ''And you look perfectly fine to me,'' she added warily.

''I skipped school and told Rin that I was ill because if I didn't try to make up an excuse, she would have told on me to Mum and Dad,'' Len ran his fingers sheepishly through his hair.

''Rin wasn't convinced by your lie,'' Miku informed him matter-of-factly as she strolled past him, into his house. He let the front door swing shut as he turned around, walking after her. She had sat down, stiffly, on his couch.

''I guess Rin sent you here in her place to fulfil my demands for entertainment?'' he asked, stuffing his hands into his pants pockets. Miku arched an eyebrow, then smiled up at him.

''Genius,'' she said happily. ''I, being the kind soul that I am, brought back all your homework for you! You have loads to do,'' she said sweetly, fluttering her eyelashes at him as she zipped open her bag. ''You missed out on a lot.''

''You're trying to make me regret skipping school.'' She also seemed to be very determined to not bring up what had happened between them this morning - but Len couldn't help wondering, what had Miku thought of their kiss? What had she thought of the promise they had shared? What did she think of him now...?

''You _are _supposed to regret it. Really, if that's your attitude towards lessons and all, how did you even get to be the top student in the whole cohort?'' she muttered, dissatisfied.

Len smirked. ''It's called sheer genius - ow!'' he pouted when Miku took out all his books and threw them at him. It hit his stomach - his lean, toned, flat stomach. Miku tried not to think about that. When Len had answered the door, he...he hadn't been wearing a shirt.

Miku had seen him shirtless before, but after what had happened this morning, things felt different between them. There was this strange...tension between them now. Not that it hadn't been there before, but it had become stronger than ever now.

''Do your homework, and I'll do mine,'' she averted her gaze, trying not to look at him as he sighed, settling himself into the seat next to hers. It wasn't the first time she had seen someone half-naked - she had seen _fully _naked before, and it was nothing new to her.

It was just that this was, well, Len...and even now he gave her a curious look, trying to figure out why she refused to look at him. ''Are you okay, Miku? You sound a little breathless.''

''Just do your work and leave me alone! I'm not here for your entertainment!'' she squeaked, picking up a cushion and slamming it into his chest. ''And go put your shirt on!''

He pouted again. ''Why? It's cooler without my shirt,'' he complained. ''It's burning hot in here. I hate the heat,'' he leant back, closing his eyes as he covered his face with his hands. Miku stared at the lean muscles in his arm.

He was doing this on purpose. She just knew he was. And Miku was not going to let herself be affected by this. She had given him a chance, so he was technically her boyfriend - but it didn't mean that she had to like him. Since she didn't like him, his shirtless state shouldn't be doing anything to her, right? She was unaffected. Yes. Len was not affecting her in any way.

''I don't care. You're blinding me. And it's not from awe, either,'' she rolled her eyes, then bent her head down, struggling to focus on her work. She hadn't been lying - they really had loads of work to complete.

There was blissful silence for a while, then suddenly she felt warm lips brush against her cheek. She jerked, startled, then turned to stare at Len. His mesmerising blue gaze was fixed on her, his full lips tilted up teasingly.

''Don't be so serious, Miku. But fine, if it's to make you happy, I'll go find a shirt.'' Idly, he slid off the couch, walking up the stairs to his room. Dazedly, Miku let her fingers drift to her cheek, where he had kissed her. Kissed her.

She exploded. ''Len! You...you idiot!'' she shouted after his retreating back. He stopped, whirling around, a wicked grin on his face.

''If you don't like me, then why are you so worked up about it?'' he asked casually, stare boring right into her. ''I mean, it's not even on the lips. It's nothing.'' Without waiting for her response, he turned back around, continuing his way up the stairs. Miku scowled.

He was so aggravating. She was not going to fall for him, and she was sure that before long, he would lose his interest in her too.


	11. Chapter 11

When Len came back down the stairs, thankfully with a shirt on, Miku hastily averted her gaze, staring down at the untouched worksheets on her lap. She didn't want Len to think that she had been waiting for him to return.

She kept her eyes firmly fixed on her papers, even when she heard Len settle himself comfortably into the seat next to her. She could feel the warmth of his body, he was sitting so close to her - with an indignant squeak, she shifted away as Len leant over, exhaling next to her ear so that her hair fluttered in the breath of air. She turned to glare at him.

He smirked at her, and she tried hard to just stare at his face. At his cheeks, specifically, since he was taller than her. She wasn't going to look at his body and imagine him half naked, the way he had been just now...she couldn't stand Len. She absolutely couldn't. So she was not going to think about him shirtless.

''What do you want, Len?'' she said stiffly. He was going to try something. She just knew it. Since he knew that she had given him a chance, because of that bet she had with Kaito, he probably thought that he was free to do whatever he liked. He would be surprised.

''I need help with this,'' he gestured at the maths worksheets on his own lap, tapping his pen at a particularly difficult looking question. Miku shot Len an incredulous look - him? Len Kagamine? The school genius? Asking for help from her? There was something wrong with this, no doubt. Len was smart, even if she was reluctant to admit to the fact.

''I thought you already finished the homework for this chapter beforehand,'' she stared at the question, which made absolutely zero sense to her. Len rolled his eyes at her words.

''I did, but I misplaced the homework, and now I've...forgotten how I solved it. And since I wasn't around during class today, I have no idea what I'm supposed to do now,'' he said honestly. Miku glanced at him suspiciously.

''Well, I don't know either. You're the genius around here, Len. Not me. So...shouldn't you know?'' she glanced down at the papers in her lap, and realised that the next question was the exact same one he was asking her about. ''To be honest, Len, I was about to ask you how to do the exact same question,'' she smiled.

Fine. So she hadn't been about to ask him how to do it. But still, it would get him off her back. She wanted to just finish her homework and get it over and done with. That way, when she went home, there wouldn't be any need for her to stay up late just to finish it all off.

Len sighed, obviously frustrated. ''Well...since neither of us know how to do it, how about we just give up and do something more interesting?'' Idly, he set the worksheets and his pen down upon the coffee table before them. Miku glared at him, then stared down at her own worksheets. She wasn't going to give up on this - Len was a bad influence.

He sighed again as she worked doggedly at the worksheets. As she gnawed on her lower lip, thinking hard, Len leant back into the couch and grabbed the television remote off the table. Lazily, he changed the channel to a Spongebob Squarepants cartoon, and Miku twitched.

_''Oh, who lives in a pineapple under the sea...'' _The theme song for Spongebob Squarepants pierced her eardrums, and she scowled, trying to concentrate hard on the homework, rather than on the show. Next to her, Len started singing along, like the immature child he was, and Miku gripped her pencil so hard, she was rather surprised that it didn't break into two.

She lasted through the whole song with Len practically screaming right into her ear, then sighed in relief as she thought that the worst was over. Bending down, she started to scrawl all over her worksheets again, trying to solve the equations. It really was difficult.

And suddenly, Len burst out laughing at something which had happened on screen. Against her will, Miku's eyes flicked up to the screen to see Spongebob, with his alarm clock trapped over his head, wearing a purple dress like...thing. Shaking her head, she let her eyes drift back to her worksheets, frustrated.

This happened five more times in the next six minutes, and it was annoying her. Finally, Miku snapped. Grabbing the remote, she switched the television off, glaring at the immature blonde next to her. Len met her gaze levelly, then smiled sweetly at her. ''What? Can't someone appreciate Spongebob Squarepants?''

''You're such a child!'' Miku fumed. ''Even if you don't want to pass your exams or all that - wait, half the time you don't even study for them and you score full marks anyway - I want to! Would it kill you to not scream in my ear?''

His blue eyes looked innocently at her - and she didn't trust that innocence. Not one bit. It was just too unlike Len. ''You need to lighten up, Miku. You're too serious about your homework. One or two undone assignments - that's not going to matter. The teachers won't care.''

''But if I don't practice, I'm going to fail our next Maths test!'' Miku continued fuming. ''I'm not some genius who can ace everything without studying, not like you, Len! Not everyone is so blessed with smarts like you are!''

His fingers reached out, gripping her wrists, and her anger disappeared, replaced by shock as he leant in close, his cool breath washing against her face. ''I'm sorry,'' he breathed, blue eyes really looking contrite. ''It's just that...you're too tensed up, Miku,'' he murmured. His hands slid up her arms to her shoulders, causing her to gasp, and then slowly he began to massage her. She bit her lip to hold back a moan.

It felt so good. He provided just the right amount of pressure, and she could gradually feel the knot in her shoulders lessen, making her feel more relaxed. She hadn't even noticed how tensed up she had been, and Len's hands were somehow making her feel better. It made her feel soothed, refreshed and invigorated.

''Len?'' she whispered softly, and his cerulean eyes met hers. His expression was wondering, and as he continued massaging her she saw the look in his eyes softening.

''Do you feel better now?'' he asked, his voice as soft as her own. Wordlessly, she nodded, her hands reaching up to cover his own. He blinked at her, startled, but then his lips curved up into a gentle smile, and he removed his hands from her shoulders. They stared at each other.

Then Len leant down and brushed his lips against hers. She didn't resist, didn't pull away or push him off, so Len continued, lightly probing her lips with his tongue. She parted her lips for him readily, and greedily he pressed into her, his arms reaching around her waist to tug her closer to him, onto his lap.

Still, she didn't resist, and he wanted to moan at the taste of honey and caramel. This kind of sweet taste...it shouldn't be allowed. It made him feel so...needy. He felt as though he wanted her more than he could ever want anything else, and he wondered if she felt the same.

It also made him wonder if she was open to the idea of accepting him, now. _What must I do to make you realise...that I love you? That it isn't just a mere show, that the feelings I have for you are more than a passing interest?_

She was so soft...he pulled away, and she stared at him, her green eyes dreamy looking. Her fingers drifted up to her cheek as she watched him, just watched - and he felt that something was off, all of a sudden. Miku would usually say something, like how it was rude of him to just suddenly kiss her like this.

Why wasn't she saying anything? He wasn't used to having this kind of...reaction from her. And frankly, it worried him a little. ''Miku?''

''Kaito,'' she breathed, her eyes looking unfocused. And at once, Len released her, his chest tightening as the one name replayed in his mind, over and over again. He wondered if it was possible for hearts to break. Because hearing Miku say that name instead of his own...it made him feel like his heart was breaking, shattering into tiny pieces.

''My name is not Kaito,'' he spat, before turning and running away, up the stairs to the next floor. Miku remained on the couch, still in a daze. What...what had just happened?

''Len,'' she realised, and her fingers clenched around the fabric of the couch she was still lying on. She had enjoyed his kiss, she couldn't deny that - but why had she? When she didn't like Len that way? She had liked the kiss so much, the moment after he had pulled away from her, she hadn't been able to think straight.

Then the first name which had slipped out of her mouth...had been the wrong name. She wanted to curse her stupidity - but she couldn't change anything. Nor could she forget the look of hurt she had seen in those blue eyes.

And she felt so guilty for that. ''I'm sorry,'' she breathed, her fingers gripping the couch even further. The look of hurt in his eyes then...

Should she go up to his room to find him? Would he even want to talk to her now?


	12. Chapter 12

Hesitantly, Miku knocked on the door. She didn't know whether or not Len would reply, but if she didn't do anything after...that, she knew she would feel guilty. She hadn't meant to hurt Len that way. Even if she didn't like him that way, he was still her friend, and she didn't want him to hurt just because she had said something completely idiotic. It was her fault, this time.

There was silence, and she sighed. Len clearly didn't want to talk right now, if the way he had locked himself inside his room was any indication. ''Len? Look, I'm sorry about what happened just now...I don't even know why I should apologise to you. It was an accident, and you weren't supposed to be kissing me anyway. But if you want to lock yourself inside...''

She let her voice trail off. If Len wanted to lock himself in his room and refuse to speak to her, then she couldn't do anything, no matter what she tried. She just wanted to leave and go back home, but her conscience had demanded that she at least try and apologise first.

Still more silence, and she gritted her teeth. Turning around, she prepared to go back down the stairs...but then she heard the sound of the door being unlocked. Quickly, Miku looked back at the door - Len was standing there, his cerulean eyes narrowed at her. His blonde hair had been let down, and it hung in a sexily dishevelled mess around his face.

She wondered why, even in such an serious situation, she could still notice how good-looking he was. ''What do you want now, Miku?'' he asked, his voice carefully neutral. Hurt still flashed through his vivid eyes, and she swallowed, carefully selecting her next words. She didn't want to hurt him again.

''Len...what happened just now...'' she gestured helplessly, ''It was just an accident. I didn't mean to say his name instead of yours -''

''Save the explanation,'' Len cut in, running a hand through his bright blonde hair. ''I understand. You don't have any feelings for me whatsoever, and I'm an idiot who can't help pining for the past. Look, I'm tired. If you have nothing better to say, I'll go back to sleep.''

He started to close the door, but then hastily she reached out, her fingers wrapping around his wrist, preventing him from closing the door. He stiffened, glancing at her, and there was the faintest spark of hope in his eyes. ''I'm not done talking,'' Miku mumbled, trying to keep the hint of desperation out of her voice. ''Len?''

He sighed, looking resigned. ''If this is something that will break my heart again, I don't want to listen,'' he warned her half-heartedly, glancing at everywhere other than at her face. She swallowed, wondering what she ought to say. She hadn't decided yet.

''What if...'' she started hesitantly. ''What if I told you that I might like you? Just a little?'' she realised with a start that her words might be true - she had been happy when Len had kissed her, right? So did that mean that...it was possible that she might have some kind of feelings for the blonde boy?

His gaze instantly snapped back to meet hers, and she watched as he struggled to conceal the happiness in his eyes. ''Are you lying to me just so that you won't feel bad?'' he asked suspiciously, none of the happiness in his eyes present in his voice. Resolutely, she shook her head, meeting his gaze head-on.

''I liked your kiss,'' she admitted softly. ''But I don't know whether I really liked it, or whether it was just because you're a good kisser...I had wanted to say your name just now, but I said the wrong thing because your kiss...it left me dazed,'' her voice dropped to a soft whisper.

''You liked my kiss?'' Len's blue eyes flickered with surprise. ''But...I thought you didn't like it whenever I kissed you?'' Still, the hope in his blue eyes was unmistakeably growing, and she wondered what she ought to say now. She didn't want to tell him or herself any untruths, but this confused her - why had she liked it?

''I liked it,'' she repeated, this time in a much softer tone of voice. ''Maybe I like you, Len. Maybe I don't. But I know that when I saw the hurt in your eyes...'' she drew in a deep breath. ''I didn't like seeing you so hurt,'' she finished in a rush. ''It made me feel...sad. Inside.''

And guilty. Len's face brightened, and he smiled a little at her, though wariness lingered on in his cerulean eyes. ''What do I have to do in order to convince you that I love you?'' he whispered, and she watched as his fingers tightened around the doorknob. He was still holding the doorknob of his room door, and now he was clutching on to it so hard that his already pale knuckles had turned white.

''Why would you love me?'' she questioned, wanting to know. ''What is it about me that attracts you, Len? Is it just because I'm the only girl who doesn't throw herself at you? Or is it because of something else?''

He shot her an incredulous look. ''Do you really think that I love you simply because of such a shallow reason?'' he asked her slowly. ''Why I love you...I don't know. I've had these feelings for you ever since we were young, and I never knew how to express them properly...especially since you didn't like the idea of me having feelings for you. Feelings that were more than just friendly. Remember that, Miku?''

She recalled. She had hated it whenever her classmates had teased her about Len, in the past - and she knew why she had hated it. Immediately, a blush coloured her cheeks. It was because back then, when they had been young...she had had just the slightest little bit of a crush on her boy best friend.

But she had thought that Len would never like her that way. After all, in the past, she and Len had always teased each other, making fun of each other because of the stupidest things, and she had convinced herself that he saw her as nothing more than a good friend. So she had convinced herself that she didn't like him.

Still, the memory that she once had a tiny little crush on him had made her extremely defensive about her relationship with her best friend, and she had hated being teased about the both of them. Shyly, she glanced up at Len - he stared back down at her, wonderment in his gaze. He was so much older now, then they had been, back in the past...but he was still so similar.

He was still the sweet, friendly, good-looking and easygoing blonde who had shown concern for her, whenever she needed comforting, even if he was a playboy now. He had shown concern for her whenever she simply needed someone to talk to. Did she like him as a friend? As more? She didn't know - she couldn't be sure - but she knew that she didn't hate or dislike him. She liked him, but whether or not it was in the way he wanted it, she didn't know.

His gaze was filled with curiosity and...hope, as he stared at her. She wondered at the hope in his eyes. It was so intense. Did he really like her that much? Had he liked her, even when she had liked him? Had all the teasing that they had inflicted upon each other, so many years ago in the past, been their own way of showing their affections? Affection that they both hadn't known how to voice out...?

''How long did you like me for?'' she asked, wondering. His eyelids lowered as he thought, his long eyelashes brushing against his cheeks. Then he glanced back up at her.

''Since I first met you. When we were five. Until now. I haven't had feelings for anyone else, not for thirteen years,'' his voice was quiet.

Five. She had liked him then too - a tiny little crush that she had thought foolish, at the time. She hadn't understood her like for him, had thought that he would never return the like that she felt for him. So she had forced herself to get over the crush, to see him as nothing more than a friend. It had been hard, but she had managed it. But now, he told her that he had apparently liked her back, all those years ago?

Her breath caught as she stared at him, releasing her grip from his wrist as she backed away slowly. She had been holding on to him all this while...this time, though, Len seized her arm, pulling her back to him. The breath was knocked out of her body as she found herself pressed against him, soft against hard.

His hand was on the back of her head, his other arm looped around her waist. He was hugging her tight, and she found that she felt strangely protected in his hold. ''Stop running away from the way I feel for you,'' his murmur was soft. ''Give me a chance to prove my affections for you. I love you,'' his voice broke a little as he said the words. ''Trust me. Please?''

He sounded like a little boy, lost and unsure. Nothing at all like the arrogant playboy she was used to. It was a side of him she rarely ever saw, his sweet and protective side, and she felt herself begin to soften towards him. She sighed, knowing that she gave in too easily.

_What if you fall for him all over again? What if he ends up breaking your heart? And what about Kaito? Do you still have feelings for him? If you do...then what about Len?_

She pushed the thoughts away. Looking up at the blonde boy, she pressed her lips together, cocking her head as she thought. Finally, she glanced down, away from his careful eyes.

''Once. Just once,'' she finally gave him her permission, and he blinked, shock evident in his cerulean eyes. ''But no more after that.''

His full lips curved up into a smile before he kissed her, a quick and soft kiss. A sweet kiss which made her heartbeat quicken. ''You won't regret it,'' he whispered against her mouth softly. ''I promise that you won't regret it.''


	13. Chapter 13

''One chance...what does that refer to?'' Len murmured into her ear as she leant back against him, curled up into his side. She glanced up at him, startled by the question. He stared back, a quizzical look in his cerulean eyes as he slid his fingers down her cheek, cupping her face. Looking away, she pouted, thinking.

''What would you want the one chance to refer to?'' she finally answered, settling on that answer. ''I suppose what your chance refers to is what you make of that same chance. Don't screw up,'' she warned him, reaching up to poke his forehead. He frowned at her finger, then nipped at it playfully, his blond bangs falling messily into his intense eyes. She felt her breath catch at the sudden tension in the air.

Then quickly, he pushed her down, straddling her waist so that she couldn't squirm free from under him. They were in his room, on his bed, and as he stared down at her with a hungry look in his eyes, she realised exactly how...suggestive their position was. Against her will, a small blush spread across her cheeks, though she made no move to push him off. ''Len!'' she snapped, causing his lips to tilt into a smirk.

''Why, don't you like this?'' he teased, causing the blush to deepen. ''Because I like it very much.'' One of his hands were holding onto both of her wrists, trapping her arms over her head. Secretly amused by him, she pouted and turned her head away as he leant down for another kiss. At that, he frowned, then reached down with his free hand to touch her chin, turning her head back to face him. She didn't resist.

His lips met hers, soft and questioning. She responded, nipping playfully at his mouth in return. His tongue flicked out, running slowly against her lips, and she shivered at the feeling, drawing in a deep breath. That familiar smirk crossed his face, and he let his fingers drift across her forehead, brushing her fringe away from her eyes. It was a strangely tender gesture, and she had to smile at it.

''Giving me a chance...means that you'll treat me like any other person, trying to gain your affections. Right? And not as a mere best friend?'' his intense blue eyes regarded her questioningly, and she bit her lip, considering. He blinked innocently at her, but the devious smile on his face made her think that the thoughts behind the question were less than innocent. Her eyes narrowed at him.

''You'd really want me to treat you as anyone else?'' she breathed, eyes searching his all the while. ''You'd like it if I walked away from you, whispering of false love and faked affection?'' her own lips curved up into a smirk. ''Because I'm open to the idea of that,'' she continued, teasing him. ''I don't see anything wrong with telling you I love you...even if I don't, not really,'' she said in a sing-song kind of way.

Len frowned at her. ''I didn't mean that part. The part about how you lie to everyone, claiming that you love them when you don't,'' he said smoothly, tilting his head to one side so that some of his blond hair fell alluringly over one of his cerulean eyes. ''You know exactly what I mean, Miku, when I say that I want you to treat me the way you treat other boys,'' his voice dropped to a low, sensuous murmur.

''No, I'm afraid that I don't know what you mean,'' she said semi-truthfully, wondering whether he really was thinking what she was thinking. The smirk returned, and she resisted another shiver at the look of wicked temptation in his eyes. She had never really noticed how seductive Len could be, and it made her think about what else she had been missing out on. His breath washed over her face, and it carried a faint hint of spicy, refreshing cinnamon.

''Don't pretend that you don't know anything,'' was all he said in reply. His fingers slid down from her face all the way to the curve of her neck, then slipped under the wide collar of her simple blouse. The feeling of cool skin against her own made her squeak, and she tried to squirm away from him, the blush returning to her face. Inwardly, she was cursing her own embarrassment - it wasn't the first time that a boy was touching her this way, after all.

The only difference was, this was Len...the boy she had had a slight crush on, as a child. He was her best friend, next to his sister Rin. And Len seemed to be extremely sure about what he was doing. His fingers ran down her arm, stroking it gently. Teasingly. It was a little ticklish, and she squirmed some more, trying to get away from him and his searching fingers. Obviously, her attempts were unsuccessful - he was heavier than her, and that trapped her.

Feeling her shudder against him, he withdrew his hand, that amused smirk still on his face. ''You liked that?'' There was faked incredulity in his velvet voice. ''I hadn't even started doing anything yet...if I had known that you liked my touch, maybe I would've made a move sooner,'' he cocked his head, meeting her glare with nonchalance. ''It would've saved me a whole lot of trouble. And heartache,'' he added.

''I do not like your touch,'' she spluttered in response, though the blush on her face contradicted her words. Why did she blush so much around him and his words? It wasn't like she was really sure that she liked Len that way. Didn't she like Kaito? So...what did this mean? What Len said was true - she did enjoy the sensation of his skin against her own. But she didn't love him that way, not really. Did she?

He shot her a disbelieving look. ''Right,'' he drawled, voice filled with amusement at her denial. ''You don't like my touch. Then what if I were to do...this?'' Before she could react, his fingers had slid under the hem of her shirt, gliding against her bare stomach slowly. She flinched, then moaned softly, unable to prevent the sound from slipping out. He laughed quietly, that hand sliding out to grasp her shirt.

Teasingly, he pulled the shirt up, inch by inch, revealing her smooth, satin skin. The shirt ended up bunched together at her collarbone, and his intent gaze drank in the sight of her creamy pale skin. His breath caught, and his throat turned dry as his mind began imagining the girl trapped beneath him...naked. And still lying under him. The thought of being clothed on top of her while she herself was completely naked was an erotic thought, and he moaned.

She continued glaring up at him. She had been glaring at him ever since he started sliding her shirt up, and even now that intense gaze trapped him, refusing to let him go. The heated look in her eyes just turned him on even more, and he took in a deep breath, trying to resist the urge to just tear all her clothes off, at that very moment. _I don't know whether she's really willing yet...I have to wait._

''The way you're looking at me just makes me think that you actually want me to go further.'' He licked his lips slowly, watching her closely for her reaction. The glare disappeared, replaced by a look of utter shock - but the heated look remained in her eyes, he noted with some satisfaction. Did it mean that she really did want him? Or was it just because she was still...unhappy about what he was doing?

It wasn't like him to be so unsure of himself, even though he was hiding that uncertainty with all this confidence. He usually knew exactly what girls wanted - most of the time, they just wanted him. Miku though, he wasn't so sure. After all, she had just agreed to give him a chance about ten minutes ago. Was it too soon for her? Did she feel that she liked him enough to give herself to him? He swallowed.

''Want you to go further?'' she blinked up at him, her voice as melodious as ever. Damn, but hearing her voice had always made him lose himself. It wasn't right that her voice was so sweet and chiming. Her high-pitched soprano made him want to drown in her voice - that voice promised bliss. It promised him every single thing he had ever yearned for. A slight smile curved her full lips. ''Maybe.''

His heart began to race at that one small word. Was it a yes, then? A teasing light shone in her lovely green eyes, and strangely he found that mischievous look even more seductive than the heat which had been in her gaze, earlier. ''I want...'' it was a soft whisper, so soft that he thought that she hadn't heard it. But her eyes widened, and she exhaled softly, her pale cheeks turning an adorable shade of rose.

''Want what?'' she asked, sounding innocent. He frowned at her - he hadn't intended to let her hear what he had said. He hadn't even intended to whisper those two words in the first place. But since she had evidently heard his impulsive words, she definitely knew what he wanted. Slowly, he let his fingers trail across her smooth stomach, tracing circular patterns over that satin skin. She tried to jerk away.

''I want you,'' he said simply, giving her no way to avoid the topic. Before she could protest, he dipped his head down to the curve of her neck, his teeth grazing her skin. She let out a soft whimper, and he smirked, brushing his lips lightly against her neck. With his hand, he tilted her head, giving him more room to do what he wanted. His tongue flicked out, running against satin skin, and again she shuddered.

Gently, his teeth sank into her neck as he bit her, quickly kissing the spot before he let go. He watched as the dark bruise slowly formed on her neck - a bruise that had been made by him. _Mine, _his mind whispered as he stared at the blossoming bruise, triumphant - she was his. Miku Hatsune belonged to him, Len Kagamine. He had wanted Miku for so long. Long enough that he couldn't remember any time he hadn't been yearning for her and her touch.

Now, he possessed her, and he was not going to allow anyone to take her away from him. Not when he had waited for this for so long. Swallowing, he shook away the unfamiliar sense of possessiveness, meeting her stare as she gazed up at him, nibbling on her lower lip. Even that lip nibbling made him desire her - everything she did made him long for her touch, and he couldn't resist leaning down to brush his lips briefly against hers. She kissed back.

That satisfied him. His next words came out as a low whisper, his hand cupping her soft cheek, the other still trapping her arms over her head. Words that made her eyes widen. ''I'm going to make you wholly, completely, only mine.''


	14. Chapter 14

_**Solitaryloner: **So there's a lemon alert...heh. Aren't you all looking forward to that? Anyway, this is the most perverted lemon I've written so far, I think. Just a little warning._

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Miku sighed, jerking the pan around just a little, using the wooden spoon she held in her other hand to poke at the noodles she was stir-frying. It sizzled in the clear chicken broth she had put it in, and as the fragrant aroma wafted to her nose, she smiled. It smelled nice.

After Len had whispered his claim over her, he had smirked down at her, then quickly let her up, saying that he was hungry and that he wanted something to eat. She had blinked up at him, feeling both shocked and...strangely disappointed, but then she had agreed to make something for the blond boy's bottomless stomach. So here she was. In his kitchen. Making his lunch, like some dutiful little wife.

She rolled her eyes at the thought. As if looking after her little brother wasn't already bad enough - now she was cooking for Len, too. Did everyone take her to be some kind of personal maid or something? She had brought home Len's homework, had reluctantly agreed to be his personal entertainer, had been mauled by him, then...now she was cooking for him.

Len was probably laughing his head off, at the thought of having her personally cook for him. Her cheeks warmed at the thought - no, just because she was making stir-fried noodles for him did not mean that she _loved _him. It was just food. Right? So it didn't mean anything. Yes, she was certainly attracted to him. But she couldn't be sure about whether or not she loved him...after all, mere attraction wasn't love.

She watched the clear chicken broth slowly disappearing from the bottom of the pan, the chicken flavour being absorbed by the noodles. There were diced chicken cubes and some fried egg in the noodles, and at the aroma, she felt her stomach growl a little. She grinned - she had cooked enough for two. Hopefully Len wouldn't be so hungry, he had to eat her share as well. That would be rather sad for her.

As she continued stirring the noodles around, she felt a pair of arms slip around her waist, cool cinnamon scented breath brushing lightly against her neck. She jumped, startled, and Len laughed softly, his arms tightening just a little around her body. Crossly, she rolled her eyes and jabbed him in the stomach with her elbow. Len gasped in mock pain, and she sighed.

His antics brought a smile to her face, though - not that she would allow him to see that smile. He brushed his lips briefly against her cheek. ''Smells good,'' he whispered, and she could hear the smirk in his voice. ''I could smell it from outside the kitchen, and it's making me hungry,'' that whisper dropped to a seductive purr, and she tensed at his words.

''It's just noodles,'' she said bluntly, tilting her head away as his lips trailed against her neck. He laughed again, but this time she could feel the vibrations against her skin - he was still nuzzling against her shoulder. She shivered at the feeling of his lips against her skin, hoping that he wouldn't notice how he affected her so. He was already arrogant enough as he was.

''I wasn't talking about the noodles,'' he said, voice low. His hands reached up from around her waist, moving to her shoulders. His fingertips caressed her skin lightly, teasing caresses that made her gasp quietly, trying to reel the sound back in. She had always been a little ticklish, and she resisted the urge to squirm now as his fingers stroked her arms.

''Then what were you talking about?'' she bantered with him, finally reaching up to slap his wandering hands away. He did as she wished, moving his fingers away from her arms - but then he reached out, holding on to her chin. Her eyes widened as he turned her head around, so that she had to stare into his blue eyes. There was a light smirk on his face, his cerulean eyes intent and...wanting.

''Why, I was talking about you, of course,'' his smirk widened. ''You smell so good,'' his velvet voice dropped into a whisper as he leant closer, their lips almost touching. His cinnamon scented breath brushed lightly against her face, and her eyelids fluttered. She had to bite her lip to hold back the moan which had threatened to slip out. Moaning would just encourage him, and that was one thing she didn't want to do.

Her eyes narrowed at him, and she jerked away from his hold, turning back to the stove and to the relative safety of the noodles in the frying pan. ''I'm busy, Len. I'll play with you another time,'' she huffed, stabbing savagely at the pan with her spoon. There was an answering chuckle, and then his arms had snaked around her waist once again. She stiffened.

''You can continue being busy,'' he purred at her, that sensuous drawl making her feel rather nervous. ''I can have my fun either way.'' For some reason, that sentence sounded more like a threat than anything else, and she wondered how he was going to _have his fun, _as he said. Those words, coming from the mouth of Len Kagamine, were just plain suspicious.

One of his arms unwrapped from around her waist, though the other one tugged her slightly closer to him. She narrowed her eyes, that suspicion growing - and she knew exactly what he was intending to do when she felt his fingers slide down her back, past her skirt, all the way to the back of her thighs. Instantly, she squirmed, trying to break free of his hold. But his grip tightened, trapping her against him.

''You pervert,'' was all she said, finally giving up and slumping against him, poking dejectedly at the noodles. She wondered if she should add some kind of laxative to the food, so that he would regret this later, after he ate the noodles she had so lovingly prepared. She knew that he was smirking behind her - the blond boy was practically radiating self-satisfaction. He reminded her of a spoilt, pampered pet cat.

''I like being a pervert,'' he breathed out against her ear, making her shiver. She tried not to focus on the feeling of his fingers, travelling slowly up her thighs...until they slid down the back of her lacy panties, his cool hand brushing against her bare butt. She jumped, flinching as she felt his fingers against her naked skin, a slow blush creeping over her face. It was irritating, what Len was doing to her.

Before she could protest against his actions, his fingers had slipped to the very core of her body, and against her will she cried out at his touch. It felt so good, as his fingers began to stroke her, slowly and languidly - he was good at this, but mutinously she bit down hard on her lip. She wouldn't allow him the satisfaction of listening to her moans. He was such a pervert.

''What are you waiting for?'' he whispered against her neck, as though he hadn't just buried his fingers in her underwear...and in the soft folds of her body. ''Didn't you say that you were busy? I don't think I'm preventing you from continuing in your work, in any way,'' he finished in a sing-song way, that self-satisfied aura still clinging on to him. Miku huffed.

Shakily, she returned her attention to the noodles in the pan, trying not to think about the way his fingers were stroking her, slowly and steadily. It was difficult - each light brush she felt against her body made her want to cry out, because it felt so incredibly good. Eventually, she became used to the feeling though, and she smirked. Len wouldn't be getting any more rise out of her, not from only this.

But just as she became used to the sensation of his fingers stroking against her, his pace changed. It became faster, more frenzied, and she gasped, unable to choke the sound back in. Her grip on the wooden spoon loosened a little as her breathing caught. His fingers rubbed quickly against her little sensitive nub, and she had to resist a whimper. There was a low laugh from him as he felt her get wetter.

''You must want this a whole lot,'' he murmured teasingly, making her grit her teeth. She shook her head, not willing to part her lips and speak - she feared that she would really cry out in bliss, if she tried to say anything. His searching fingers were getting even wetter - she could feel it, and the blush on her cheeks spread at the thought of just how much she wanted his touch. It wasn't fair. He was so good at this.

He paused, and she breathed out heavily. She hadn't realised that she had been holding her breath the whole time. ''Do you want more?'' he asked teasingly, and she tensed up, still not wanting to speak. Her body throbbed, demanding more - he had turned her on, and stopping now was just cruel. Turning back, she shot him a glare - that evil, manipulative jerk.

He arched an eyebrow at her, the little smile on his face becoming unspeakably wicked. Without another word, without any warning, he sank a finger inside her, and against her will she cried out, her eyes closing in pleasure. The wooden spoon fell from her grasp, landing with a clatter on the pan, but she didn't care - to her, all that mattered was the feeling of Len's finger, sliding quickly and forcefully in and out of her body.

Her fingers clenched into fists, her nails digging into her palms as she tried to regulate her breathing. Her eyelids were squeezed shut as her body clenched around him - this wasn't fair. He was using pleasure as a weapon, as a way to tear her resistance down. His arm wrapped tighter around her, fingers sliding down her waist, and unceremoniously he shoved another finger into her body. She whimpered softly.

''Jerk,'' she breathed, her arms reaching back to wrap around his neck, arching her back so that he could reach even deeper inside her. He sighed in reply, the breath of air causing her hair to flutter, and then he reached up to unwind her arms from around his neck. Her fingers dug deeply into his skin, and he hissed, turning her face back so she stared at him.

His blue eyes were filled with overwhelming hunger, and then he had pulled his fingers out of her, trailing her wetness across her bare skin. She whimpered again, suddenly feeling empty, and his eyes darkened at the sound. Leaving his hand up her skirt, he dragged her face closer to his, forcing her to kiss him - and she kissed him, their tongues fighting fiercely for dominance as their lips melded together.

Her hands reached up, cupping his face, his hand trailing down her inner thighs in response. She squeaked, clamping her thighs together as he brushed against heated skin - in an unconscious act, she tried to inch towards his fingers, to get him to stroke her again so that she could get her release. He smiled against her lips, then jerked away from her, wisps of his blond hair coming loose around his face.

''You want to come?'' he breathed, ignoring her little moan of need. ''Then say my name,'' he commanded, his blue eyes narrowing hungrily at her. She bit her lip, mutinous, and he let his fingers caress her - close enough that she squeaked, but not enough that she could hit sheer pleasure. She yelped, then lifted her gaze to his, her own eyes narrowing back.

''Len,'' she whispered, her fingers reaching back to clamp around his arms. He smirked, then shook his head at her, making her bite the inside of her cheek in frustration. She longed to turn around and bite him. Hard.

''Louder,'' he murmured, mischief filling his cerulean gaze. ''I want to hear you scream my name. So loud that everyone knows what we're doing. So that everyone knows that you belong to me, and only to me,'' he purred at her.

Again, his fingers flicked out against her, making her feel giddy. Giving in, she screamed out his name, repeating it over and over again, her voice slowly turning into a soft sob. Her eyes closed as she clung on to him, desperate for that final bit of pleasure, and he laughed again, clearly satisfied. His fingers reached out, touching _right there, _and she gasped out, her body clenching fierily around empty air.

''Len,'' she repeated of her own accord, her arms slinging around his neck as waves of bliss shot through her. Her head lolled back as she exhaled, trying to control her breathing - she leant back against his shoulder, her body so sensitive that she didn't feel like she could move, right then. He moaned as her fingers dug into his skin, leaving tiny little marks, and then he spun her around, their gazes meeting.

His expression was heated, and his tongue ran out against his lips as he watched her breathing heavily. Panting because of him. He pushed her against the kitchen counter, away from the stove. He lifted her up easily, making her sit on the counter - then he kissed her again, this time a hungry kiss which not only showed who was dominant, but also how lustful he was. She shivered at the kiss, groaning in response.

He didn't even bother to remove her skirt - in three seconds, her panties were off, and then he had claimed her body, his blond fringe falling into his eyes as he gazed at her. Her arms reached out, her fingers once again digging into his back, and Len hissed as she leant forward, her teeth sinking into the base of his neck. His breath washed against her heated cheek, still carrying the scent of cinnamon.

''You know, this classifies as rape since I didn't actually agree to this,'' she whispered as she released his skin from her teeth, making him moan in protest. He glanced up at her, from beneath long eyelashes, his eyes heavy lidded - then he smirked at her, driving deep into her body as he thrust into her. She cried out.

''It's not rape if you like it,'' he pointed out, breathing hard. She squirmed at his words, her blush returning - like? Yes, she certainly liked it. He filled her up comfortably, making her feel full, and it felt better than even his fingers had. His scent intoxicated her, making her feel giddy, and she leant her head back, against the wall of the kitchen. A smirk crossed her lips.

She changed the topic, arching her back so that he could drive even deeper into her. A high-pitched keening escaped her as he hit something inside her body, making her feel a little faint from the new, intense wave of pleasure. ''Having sex with a girl while she's cooking for you, Len? I think that speaks quite a fair bit for what kind of person you are.''

''Sexy?'' he gasped out as her body clenched tightly around him. His arm braced against the wall, he leant closer, his tongue running out against her bare skin. She twitched, her long legs wrapping tightly around his waist - damn, that felt so good. He bit back a growl, unable to resist sinking his teeth into her soft neck. Her fingers reached up, tangling in his hair.

''Perverted,'' she confirmed, tilting her head so that his teeth could bite deeper. He had bitten the left side of her neck this time, and he pulled away, satisfied, as he watched the new bruise form on the other side of her neck. Marking her as his...it was fun. She blinked, her hand shooting down to the bruise, then her green eyes narrowed as she glared crossly at him.

''What?'' he breathed out, his eyelids fluttering closed as he bit on his lip, so hard that it drew blood. He was only half paying attention to their conversation, the bliss which was searing through him distracting him. Her body was deliciously soft, and unable to hold himself back anymore he came inside her, making her squeal in protest. Her legs remained wrapped around his waist as he shot his load into her.

''Len!'' she hissed, her fingers tugging on his blond hair, making him wince even amidst the pleasure he was floating around in. ''You...ugh! People eat in the kitchen, you disgusting creep!'' she squirmed, making him moan helplessly as she brushed against him. He was sensitive, too sensitive. Really. But he still wanted more.

Before he could do anything, though, they heard the front door practically being knocked down, and then Rin was calling out for him. Len and Miku exchanged a panicked look, frozen in horror, and both of them desperately hoped that Rin wouldn't enter the kitchen - but then obviously, Luck wasn't on their side.

The blonde walked right into the kitchen, before they could even start attempting to disentangle themselves from each other. Rin's blue eyes snapped wide open as she stared at the two of them, from the entrance of the kitchen. Her best friend, sitting on the kitchen counter, and her very own twin brother buried deep inside said best friend's body...after a second of utter shock and silence, Rin immediately shrieked, turning around and running out of there.

Len sighed, hanging his head as he finally slid his body out of Miku's. ''Well, think about it. At least we weren't completely naked, right?'' he offered in an attempt to console her. Miku glared at him, a crimson blush on her face, before she reached out to smack his shoulder.

''Pervert.''


	15. Chapter 15

''Oh, look. I found a note,'' Len called out, picking the piece of paper up, from the coffee table in the living room. He was shirtless, his blond hair tousled and rumpled - it all made him look like he had just had several rounds of wild, very satisfying sex...which, of course, he had.

Miku came down the stairs, wrapped in nothing but his blanket. His gaze snapped to her, and the note was instantly forgotten - all he wanted to do then was to go over to her, gently unwind the blanket from around her bare body, and have sex with her some place they hadn't tried yet. Like the backyard, maybe? People did say that making love amongst the flowers could be romantic, though he rather doubted that.

''From Rin?'' his girlfriend asked, making him shake his head as he tried to focus on her words. _My girlfriend. _It gave him no small amount of satisfaction to hear himself think that - _she's mine. Finally. _He had been waiting for so long, waiting for her to finally love him back...and now, she did. He was almost one hundred percent positive, though he couldn't be sure, since Miku tended to be rather...aloof.

Rin had mysteriously disappeared after seeing them together, in the kitchen, earlier. Len knew, because he had went around to check, to ensure that Rin wouldn't stumble across them again. Rin hadn't been anywhere in the house, so Len hadn't bothered to look any further for her, instead returning to Miku. And they had continued...whatever. He didn't intend to say anything more about what they had done.

Len cleared his throat, looking down at the note. ''I'll be out for a while,'' he read out, from the piece of paper. ''Um...probably for the whole night. So do whatever you want. Uh, so long as you clear up afterwards. Especially in the kitchen, since people tend to eat there. Have fun! Oh, and I won't say anything about what I saw, so don't worry about that. Bye. Love, Rin.'' Len glanced up from the note, up at Miku.

He couldn't even begin imagining how Rin was feeling, right now. If he had accidentally walked in on his sister and her boyfriend, together the way he and Miku had been earlier...he winced. No. He didn't even want to go there. The thought of Rin naked already sent shudders through him, let alone the thought of his sister having...well, sex. That just wasn't something that he could ever imagine Rin doing.

Not that he wanted to try imagining Rin having sex. Or whatever. Because that would be just wrong. Len's blue gaze met Miku's, as he studied her carefully - how would she react to the fact that Rin would be out, the whole night? He knew that Rin was giving them the privacy to continue on with what they had already been doing - but was Miku willing to continue? He hated to admit it, but he was getting tired.

Still, even if he was exhausted, he didn't want her to leave his side. Len never stayed with any girl, not once he was done with them - staying around was just something that he couldn't do. He saw no point in staying with a girl he didn't love...but Miku was different. Miku was the girl he had loved since young, and now that she had finally accepted his feelings for her, he didn't want to let her go. It was just too soon.

But he already knew what Miku was going to say - he could see it in the mesmerising depths of her green eyes. She was going to leave him alone, returning to her own house...and at the thought, unadulterated fear flickered through him. No, he didn't want her to leave him. It was a selfish desire, and he knew that he shouldn't try and make her stay - but he was selfish, and he wanted her to remain here. With him.

Miku was smiling a little at him. ''I can't stay overnight, you know,'' she said, her tone slightly regretful. ''I have to look after Mikuo. He won't go to sleep until I'm back home, so I can't stay with you for too long,'' her eyes strayed to the clock that was hanging on the living room wall. ''It's already eight thirty,'' she murmured. ''I should be getting home...I've already spent too much time here with you, Len,'' she sighed.

Her eyes widened as she felt his fingers, wrapping tightly around her wrist. Len pulled her close to him, so close that she could feel his cool breath, brushing lightly across her cheek. His other hand rested gently against the back of her head, so that she was leaning against his chest. He was taller than she was... ''But I don't want you to go,'' he whispered into her ear, his blond hair brushing her skin lightly.

His hair was untied, and it reached down to his shoulders in its messy state. She reached up, running her fingers through his blond hair - his blue eyes closed at her touch. ''Don't be silly,'' she whispered in return. ''It's not like I'll be leaving you forever. We still have school and everything. You can see me again, tomorrow - I'll just be returning home for tonight.'' Despite her reassurances, his hold on her tightened.

''But...I've waited for so long,'' he murmured. ''Just waiting for you to take notice of me, in the way that I wished you would. Now that you finally have...I don't want to let you out of my sight. It's too soon,'' he withdrew from her, so that he could look into her eyes - she was startled to see genuine worry in his gaze. She had always thought of him as confident, sure that every girl would always return to him.

Did she really affect him so much? She still didn't think that there was anything particularly special about her - she was nowhere near as smart as Len was, and there were plenty of other girls who wanted him. Girls who were easily ten times more pretty than she was. The only thing that was different about her...was that she was Len's best friend. And that she was the whore of the school. She gritted her teeth.

She knew that some people thought of her that way. Those who knew what she did...only the richer boys in school knew how she made her money, and she wondered whether they looked down on her, because of that. The whole school knew that she slept with plenty of people, but very few knew that she charged money for that...service. Even Len didn't know, she was sure - and if he found out...would he change?

Would he think of her as an actual whore, if he knew that she really did make people pay to sleep with her? Now, he knew that she was a playgirl, who fooled around with many others the same way he did, but he thought that she did it for fun. Because she had a choice. What if he knew that it was otherwise, that it was because selling her body was how she made her livelihood? She didn't want him to find out.

It was already hard enough, facing the boys who she slept with, in school. Knowing that they knew the real reason why she slept around. She couldn't bear for Len, her best friend and...her boyfriend, to find out about it as well. For some strange reason, she didn't mind people thinking that she was a heartless flirt - but she did mind people thinking of her as a prostitute. She just didn't want to be known as a streetwalker.

She took a deep breath. ''You know, you don't have to worry about me not returning to you,'' she shot him a hesitant little smile. Perhaps, even though he was her boyfriend, it would be better that she maintain a careful distance from him. For now. She couldn't afford to let him find out about her secret job - that aspect of her life was one that she had to hide from everyone. Even from Len...especially from Len.

''I'm not worried about that,'' Len's blue eyes darkened. ''I just...don't want to leave you alone, you know?'' he glanced away from her, seemingly unwilling to meet her gaze. If she didn't know better, she would have said that the confident, arrogant Len Kagamine was feeling...shy. ''I'm worried that when I go to sleep, without you around, I'll wake up to realise that all of this is a dream. That none of it is real.''

She couldn't help but soften at those heartfelt words. This was one of the rare few times she had ever heard Len sound so...sad. Usually, he was cocky. Arrogant. Playful. Assured of getting his way. But to hear him being sad and unsure...it was rare, and that he was willing to show her this weaker side of himself...well, she didn't let that go unnoticed. It was so unlike the Len that she was used to, and somehow, she liked it.

''Len,'' she breathed, reaching up to cup his cheek. His gaze flicked up, meeting her own - her breath hitched a little, as she saw the distinct misery in his eyes. He really did hurt at the thought of her leaving. ''It's not a dream,'' she smiled at him again, brushing her fingertips gently against his cheek. ''I...I love you,'' she whispered, leaning in close to him. His eyes widened, right before she kissed him.

He kissed back. She was unused to this change in positions - usually, Len was the one who took the lead, kissing her senseless, until she turned into malleable jelly in his arms. But this kiss was one that she had initiated, and it wasn't the deep, possessive kind of kiss she was used to receiving. This kiss was sweet and gentle, not passionate - it was more of a promise than a marking. A promise that she would return.

Finally, he pulled away from her, his vivid cerulean eyes hooded. ''You're clouding up my mind,'' he murmured, brushing his lips lightly against her forehead. ''Everything I do reminds me of you. But there's just...something,'' he frowned, his gaze drifting away from her. ''Something about you which doesn't want to open up to me. I can tell that you're hiding something from me, but I don't know what.''

She stiffened. ''What could I possibly be hiding from you, Len?'' she laughed, trying to sound as casual as possible. Inside, though, she was panicking - she didn't want him to think that there was anything wrong. If he suspected she was up to anything, he would try to find out what it was. He hadn't succeeded, so far...she knew he had tried to find out more about her life, before. But she didn't want to risk him actually learning something, this time.

He shot her a grin. ''Well, if I knew, I wouldn't be asking you, would I?'' he asked, voice full of humour. She relaxed, just a little, shrugging in response to his question. Suddenly, though, his good mood disappeared, and she blinked as he placed his hands on her shoulders, pulling her back to him once again. ''You can trust me, you know,'' he murmured into her ear, his voice soft. ''You can trust me with anything.''

She wanted to trust him. At that moment, she longed to tell him everything about her life, everything which he had ever asked about her - what had happened in those years after her parents' deaths, where she and her brother had gone, and how she was making a living now. Especially the last one. But then, she couldn't bring herself to tell him any of that - she didn't want to risk changing his opinion of her.

People always did claim that they wouldn't judge others, based only on their circumstances. And Miku was sure that Len was the same as them - but then, it was impossible for someone to remain forever fair and unbiased. If Len were to find out that she sold her body to earn money...she swallowed. What if his feelings for her changed, then? What if he didn't wish to remain with someone as tainted as she was?

True. Len did the same things she did. But at the same time, he was different from her. He was known as a flirt, and so was she - and she would rather be known as a flirt than anything else. There was a difference between _flirt, _and _prostitute. _People just looked down on the latter, and she wasn't sure whether or not Len would be the same. It was safer that he know her as a flirt...so that whenever he looked at her, his blue gaze wouldn't fill with disdain.

No, revealing all her secrets to him was a risk that she didn't intend to take. She loved Len, she knew that - she just didn't know to what extent she loved him. To what extent it would hurt, if he were to walk away from her. And she didn't want to hurt anymore. ''I know I can trust you,'' was all she said in reply, though she did wish that she could tell him more. Len studied her, still looking faintly concerned. For her.

Finally, he nodded. ''Want to go back up to my room?'' he asked her. He noticed the subtle widening of her eyes, and he choked back a laugh. ''Not for that,'' he told her, his lips curving up into a gentle smile. ''To take a bath. Don't you feel...sticky, after everything we've done?'' he suggested, his voice deceptively innocent. Miku pouted, looking absolutely adorable, before she nodded and went up the stairs.

Len followed her, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. The blanket trailed after her as she walked, looking like the bridal train of a wedding gown - and he wondered whether he would ever have the good fortune to see Miku wearing a wedding dress. Walking towards him, down the aisle. Ever since young, she was the only person he had ever wanted to marry. She was still the only girl he wanted.

He could sense that she was hiding something from him. Some kind of secret about herself that she was unwilling to share, even with him. Though she had been deceptively casual just now, he could tell that she was lying to him. By the subtle tightening of her lips, by the way her beautiful green eyes had darkened just a little, becoming unreadable. And he wondered what sort of secret she was hiding, from him.

He had suspected that she was hiding something from him, ever since she suddenly reappeared, after the deaths of her parents. Ever since she had changed, turning from innocent and warm to...distant and cold. And he suspected that her secret was the reason why she had changed so much. For now, though, he didn't want to probe - he just wished that there was some way he could make her stay.

Selfishly, though he knew that Miku had to return home and look after her younger brother, he wanted her to stay behind for him...he sighed, following her inside his room. Miku glanced back at him and shot him a playful smile, before she let the blanket fall to her feet. She was naked beneath it, and Len stared, all lucid thoughts fleeing from his mind...for now. He just wanted to reach out and touch her.

''Maybe next time,'' Miku laughed, noticing the look of hunger in his eyes. Then her own gaze softened. ''I love you,'' she repeated, her intense green eyes piercing, trapping him, making him feel like he was about to drown in their depths. With that, she stepped inside his bathroom, closing the door behind her. Len shook his head, blinking, then sat on his bed to wait for her to finish bathing. He was too easily distracted.

The familiar sound of running water came from the bathroom, and instantly, his perverted mind bombarded him with images of Miku. Miku, with water sliding over her bare skin, giving him a seductive smile as she reached out to him, her body soft and pliant - just like she had been, this very afternoon, when he had carried her inside his bathroom, placed her in his large bathtub and used the shower head to -

Moving on. His eyes strayed over to the heap of clothes on the floor, clothes that belonged to both Miku and himself. Then his gaze settled on a glint of silver - her skirt. The pocket. A small keychain was spilling out from the pocket of Miku's skirt, and in that one moment, he knew exactly what he was going to do. It was selfish of him - but then, all he wanted was for her to remain with him. Was that really so bad?

Len bent down to her skirt, taking the keys. He hesitated - Mikuo would probably let his sister inside his house, even if she didn't have her keys with her. He glanced at the keychain, then pocketed it anyway - if she couldn't stay with him, then he would go to her. He didn't want her to leave him alone, not after he had finally gotten a taste of what loving her was like. So he would go to her, tonight, after she left him.

He fingered the small, heart shaped keychain that Miku's keys dangled from. Slowly, he held the keychain up, to his lips - _surely you'd understand this? I just don't want to see you walking away from me. It hurts. Even if this desire is selfish, I can't help but feel it._

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_**Solitaryloner: **Len has yandere tendencies here. It's like in Spice!. Both of the Lens are yandere, while the poor Mikus just never have any idea what he's willing to do, to make her stay around with him. Len is evil._

_On another note, I'm wondering whether anyone is interested in writing a collab with me. I'm getting sick of updating my stories, since they don't seem to be going anywhere. I'm stuck. Writing in endless circles._


	16. Chapter 16

_**Solitaryloner: **__I feel kind of bad for not updating this for so long. But it's not that evil since it wasn't a cliffhanger the previous chapter. So it all just balances out, actually._

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_Did I leave my keys at Len's house?_

Frantically, Miku patted her pockets. No keys there. She was sure she had left them in her pocket, though...frowning, she checked her bookbag. They weren't in there either.

Biting her lip, she decided to call Len. After a couple of rings, he picked up, sounding a little surprised. ''Yes, Miku?'' he asked, his smooth voice causing a blush to spread across her face. ''Is this about your keys?'' he added, before she could say anything. ''You dropped them at my house, yeah. I'll pass them to you tomorrow? Unless you need them now, of course...''

''No, it's okay, don't trouble yourself, Len. I just wanted to be sure that I didn't drop them on the streets or anything like that,'' Miku's fingers tightened around the phone, not quite wanting to let go of her connection with him. It was silly of her, she had to admit that. ''So. Well...good night, Len,'' she smiled a little. He laughed.

''Good night, sweetheart. I'll see you in school tomorrow,'' with that, he hung up, the line going dead. Miku slowly let her hand drop down, her phone dangling limply by her side - she didn't want to leave Len, she really didn't. But she couldn't just leave Mikuo alone, could she? He would miss her. It had been such a long time since she came home early, for her brother.

Reaching forward, she pressed the door bell, waiting for her little brother to come out of the house. Sure enough, less than a minute later, her teal haired brother came rushing out, his mouth wide open. ''Sis? But don't you normally have your keys with you?'' he asked, wrapping his fingers around the gate, staring up at her.

''Um, I...well, I accidentally dropped them at a friend's house,'' Miku fiddled with the hem of her skirt, hastily changing the topic. ''Mikuo, stop staring at me and let me in,'' she sighed, looking past the young boy to the lights shining out of the open door. The boy blinked, nodding, as he fumbled around with the gate's lock.

There was a 'click' sound, and the gate swung open. Miku stepped past the gate into the front yard, ruffling Mikuo's hair as she did so. ''Have you eaten your dinner yet?'' she asked, absently twining short strands of his teal hair around her fingers. Mikuo shook his head, looking up at her, his green eyes still filled with surprise. Miku felt a little guilty. She understood why her brother was feeling so surprised by this.

She had never come home before nine on a normal day before, and this was a first, she knew. Usually, she only went home early when it was his or her own birthday - she and Mikuo only had each other to rely on, in this world. They cherished each other, and they always made sure to celebrate their birthdays with each other. But, other than that...no. Never.

She always returned home late. Even when she promised to come home earlier, she never showed up before nine. Or even before ten. ''You're back...early, Sis,'' Mikuo commented, looking a little conflicted. There was happiness in his voice, but confusion was written plainly all over his face. ''Don't you have to work today? You have to work every day, after all...''

She had never explicitly told Mikuo what was her job before. He was too young to know that his big sister, the girl he looked up to, was no more than a filthy whore, selling her body to make money to survive. She was too ashamed to admit that truth to her one remaining family member. Miku had alluded to her job before, but she never outright told Mikuo what she worked as. She suspected he knew, though.

She knew he had his suspicions about her job. She was careful not to leave anything around - even in her diary, whenever she mentioned her job, she referred to it using ways an innocent little boy could never understand. It was silly, to still keep a diary at this age, but it was her only companion. The only thing she could really pour out all her troubles to. The only thing which wouldn't judge her for doing what she did.

She knew her brother would never judge her as well, but she didn't want to taint or corrupt him with the knowledge of what she did. Of how she made a living. He was, as yet, pure and young. He didn't deserve to be burdened this way, not by her. Mikuo deserved to have the perfect, idyllic childhood she herself was never able to obtain. She worked solely for his sake. She worked so he could be happy and carefree.

She needed a companion. A confidant. Someone to spill all her secrets to, when carrying the burden of her duties became simply too much for her to bear alone. Which was why she had a diary. So that, when she was feeling desperate and alone, she could write about her innermost thoughts and feelings...let it all out, the same way she longed to scream her worries away.

She wondered whether Len would make a good companion. Someone to talk to, when the stress of being who she was finally caught up with her. Maybe he would be supportive...maybe she could actually trust him with her secrets...but that was all just speculation. She knew that she would never do anything to open herself up - she knew she would never trust him enough.

Miku didn't want to do anything to risk losing Len. And if she revealed her burdens to him, he might be lost to her. She swallowed - she didn't want that to happen to her. She had already been broken before in love - watching the boy she loved with her best friend had killed her enough, even though Kaito had never actually done anything to break her heart. If Len left her, she wouldn't know what to do then...

''I...I decided to come home early for once!'' she beamed, forcing a cheery smile onto her face. Mikuo just stared at her, worry evident in his forest green eyes. Miku leant down, so that their heads were at the same level. ''Are you hungry? I'll go make something for you to eat,'' she kissed his forehead lightly. Mikuo looked up at her, his green eyes narrowing just a little.

''I don't want Sis to get hurt,'' he suddenly said, lunging for her hand and holding it close to his heart. Miku blinked, startled. ''If I was older, I would be able to go out and work! I could keep you safe from all those people out there! Then you wouldn't have to come home late all the time, just because you're trying to make money to support us both...I feel so useless,'' he said, his voice miserable. It made her feel...guilty.

Slowly, Miku smiled. ''You're not useless, Mikuo. You're just young. Too young to work, okay?'' she sighed, pulling him closer to her, leaning her chin against the top of his head. ''Besides, you don't have to worry about my job...there's nothing wrong with it, really,'' she lied through her teeth. ''It's quite fun, and I enjoy my work! There's nothing to protect me from, really...''

_You're lying. I know. _Suddenly, she froze, her eyes widening as she met her brother's intense gaze. He looked...miserable. He _was _miserable. ''I'm not just a kid anymore,'' he whispered. ''I know, Sis. I know. You don't have to keep on sheltering me from the real world anymore. I'm not a little boy - when our parents died, I was forced to grow up too. I hate your job, Sis, I really hate it. I hate how you force yourself...''

''It's all right, Mikuo, it really is,'' she closed her eyes, hating herself at that moment. ''I don't mind it. I...I even enjoy it, at times,'' _lies, they're all lies, and you both know it. You're just saying that to make him and yourself feel better. _''I don't want you to worry about me. Just focus on your school work. I'm not of any importance, okay? Promise me,'' she drew back, meeting his gaze. The boy bit his lip, nervous.

''I...I can't promise that I won't worry about you! You're my sister!'' he raised his voice, folding his arms across his chest. She was struck by just how grown-up he appeared to be, right then. He was almost thirteen. Almost a youth, a teenager. How much had he matured, while she was away? How much had the little brother she once knew changed? He wasn't Mikuo anymore. He had...he was older now. So much older.

''Mikuo...I've been doing what I do for the past few years. Nothing has ever happened to me, and I don't see why you should be affected if I'm okay with it,'' she patted him on his head. ''I really don't want you to worry about me, okay? You're twelve. You should focus on your studies, not on other things. Those aren't important.''

''No! You're my only family left...you're my sis! Of course you're important!'' he looked up at her. Had he grown taller? He used to be so tiny. So small and short. There was a point in time where he only reached up to her waist. He was taller now. At her chest. He would outgrow her one day, she knew. One day, he would be much taller than her. He was changing so much...

How had she never noticed it before? She kept quiet for a moment, just thinking, watching as worry and nervousness expressed themselves on Mikuo's face. Finally, she smiled, reaching forward to hug her little brother. ''Then...if you insist. Thank you for worrying about me,'' she turned her head, kissing him on the cheek. ''I won't promise that I'll stop. But I can promise that I won't come home too late, ever again.''

''Really?'' hope sparked in his eyes, but it was tempered by realism - for she had made that promise before numerous times, and she always ended up breaking her promise. Miku smothered the sense of guilt she felt, creeping up upon her - for she knew that she couldn't be sure whether or not she would keep to her promise. She didn't want to lie to him again...

''Yes. Really,'' she laughed softly. ''How about we go inside now? I'll make you your favourite leek porridge,'' she sang, tugging on his hand. He pouted, but his lips then curved into a smile, and he went along with her, back inside their home. Miku glanced back at him - it had been such a long time since she last saw him smile so...genuinely. His smiles always seemed so forced. Like he was pretending for her sake.

''How did you even know about my job, Mikuo?'' she asked, the question suddenly popping into her mind. Indeed. How did he know? She always tried her best to shelter him from that aspect of her life - she never discussed her job with him, and whenever he asked her questions about what she did, she always avoided the topic.

''I...'' the boy stammered, his cheeks flushing. ''I...I read your diary,'' he finally admitted, ducking his head. Miku narrowed her eyes at him, though she admitted that she wasn't too surprised to hear that he had done such a thing. It was the main reason why she ensured that she didn't write anything too explicit in its pages. ''Your innuendos...they're not subtle enough, Sis. I'm not that naive, you know.''

It was Miku's turn to blush. ''I am not discussing my sex life with you,'' she snapped. ''And next time, keep your nose out of my diary. Or I'll take the leeks out of your porridge and replace them with carrots,'' she threatened. Mikuo had a strange, fervent dislike for carrots, not that she understood why. Miku herself was perfectly fine with the aforementioned vegetable.

''Yuck. Carrots,'' Mikuo made a face. ''Fine, Sis. I'll stop reading your diary...there's nothing too interesting in your diary anyway,'' he concluded with a huff. Miku rolled her eyes, smiling. She had missed bantering with her brother this way. Recently, she had been devoting so much time to making a living, she hadn't had a chance to carry out a proper conversation with Mikuo.

''If there's nothing interesting in my diary, then why did you read it?'' she retorted archly, letting go of his hand as she stepped into the kitchen. Mikuo continued trailing after her though, watching her as she got ready to prepare his dinner. There was a playful grin on his face, a mischievous sparkle in his eyes that she had not seen in...quite a while. She missed that look of childish mischief, actually. She missed it a lot.

''Because then I get stuff to blackmail you with, of course,'' Mikuo answered. He ducked to avoid the spatula she threw at him, laughing the whole time. ''I missed you, Sis,'' he suddenly said, in a seemingly heartfelt manner. Miku blinked, a little startled by his sudden words. She didn't expect him to say that. Mikuo showed his adoration for her through physical means every single day, but he rarely did so verbally.

''...I missed you too, Mikuo,'' she smiled back at him, noticing the relief in his eyes. ''I missed you a lot. I even missed how annoying you can be...I haven't seen this side of you in a long while, and it was getting a little strange.''

''I am not annoying,'' Mikuo pouted, cupping his face in his hands. ''You're the annoying one, Sis. Always nagging at me to do my homework. And always finding babysitters for me. I already said before, I don't need any babysitters! Sis, are you listening to me? You're not listening -''

''Get out of my kitchen, Mikuo.''

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''You have a very nice room, Miku...'' Len looked around, his eyes taking in the whole space. This was the first time he was in her bedroom.

The tealette was slumbering in bed, her long hair spreading out over her pillow. Len crossed over to her, sitting carefully on the very edge of her bed, trying not to jostle her too much. ''You look so innocent when you sleep,'' he said softly, ''nothing at all like the seductive flirt you are, when you're awake,'' he held on to her hand, holding the delicate hand up to his lips.

He had used her key to get into her house. Now, he was in her room, having made sure that no one was awake to catch him here. Mikuo was sleeping in his room, so Len didn't worry about him. Miku, too, was fast-asleep, and she looked so harmless. So angelic. Len let his fingers slide down the side of her face, cupping her cheek.

Still, despite her slumber, there was a troubled frown on her face - like she was having some sort of nightmare, perhaps. Len's fingers trailed across her forehead, stroking gently at her skin, and the crease on her forehead smoothed out a little. He smiled. Did she sense his presence? Did he soothe her enough to reach her dreams? She looked so...doll-like. So fragile. All his.

He leant back against the headboard, closing his eyes. He was aware that what he was doing was plainly wrong - he shouldn't be here in her house, in her room, watching her sleep...and all without her permission. But he couldn't help himself, the same way he wanted to sneak into her bed. He was almost without a choice here. Miku's hold over him was just that strong.

''I wonder what you're dreaming of, hm?'' he murmured into her ear, hearing her whimper faintly in her sleep. Gently, he leant forward, tugging on her ear with his teeth. She turned towards him, snuggling into his chest, and he let his arm drape across her shoulders. His lips tilted upwards, into a small smirk. He liked this. He liked holding her in his embrace. He liked that this girl finally belonged wholly to him.

He slid downwards so that their faces were side by side, his lips so close to hers that he could feel her warm breath, brushing against his skin. ''I want you,'' he whispered, running his fingers through her hair. ''I want you so badly that it's driving me insane. Do you love me the way I love you, or are you still torn between me and what you cannot have?'' he studied her. She continued sleeping, unaware of his presence.

''I take your silence to mean that you love me,'' he murmured, his smirk widening slightly. With that, he leant forward, his mouth brushing against hers. A quick kiss, a light touch, like the fleeting, gentle brush of a butterfly landing on someone's hand. She smiled in her sleep. The sight of that sweet smile made him smile, too. Everything about this girl made him smile.

His fingers slipped downwards, to the hem of her nightdress. Running down her bare leg, feeling the smoothness of soft skin against his fingertips...he wanted more, though he had already taken so much. He wanted more under a different circumstance. Earlier was different. Earlier...she loved him because she was guilty. Because she said someone's name instead of his own. Because he told her he loved her.

Did she still love him? His wandering fingers went further, further up, still enjoying the soft satin of her skin. ''Tell me that you love me, and tell me that you mean it,'' he murmured, his lips brushing against the sensitive area between her neck and shoulder. He heard her whimper in her sleep, and he let his cool breath wash out against her neck. He wanted more. So much...

His fingers had slid to her upper thigh, meeting fabric in place of skin. He decided to stop, not wanting to betray her modesty _too _much, and let his fingers wander back down...this time slipping his hand between her legs, taking his time to caress and tease. She jerked, her lips parted, her breaths coming out as gasps. He smiled, his other hand reaching out to cover her mouth. Not yet. He didn't want her to moan.

His roaming hand quickly got bored with just touching and teasing. Len eased himself above her, his hand wrapping firmly around her knee - bringing her knee up to his waist, he stared down at her. She looked...erotic. Her lips were parted, and they were so soft and pink and so kissable...he could imagine her moaning under him. He winced - he knew how that was like. He heard her. He could remember everything.

In one swift motion, Len rolled her on top of him, so that she was now straddling his waist. He kept his hand pressed to her back, so that she wouldn't fall off him and onto the floor. She was tucked under his chin, and he thought that they fit perfectly together. Like two puzzle pieces, made for each other, meant to be together. They were always meant to be one. Why didn't she see that? Why couldn't she?

Her eyes flew open, all of a sudden, just as he was musing to himself. ''What...Len?'' she gasped, her face tinted rose. ''Why are you...'' she glanced down, to the position he had put her in, and instantly her face flamed. ''What are you doing? In my house? My room? In my bed?'' she hissed at him, her green eyes wide with emotion. He wondered what emotion it was.

He smiled back at her. ''I'm here because I missed my sweet little Miku,'' he cooed, his hand cupping her cheek. She bit her lip, her face still burning, and he thought that the sight of that was absolutely adorable. ''My Miku,'' he said again, his voice becoming a soft murmur. ''I don't like sharing you, you know,'' he brushed her hair away from her eyes. ''You're mine.''

''I-I'm not -'' she stuttered, her voice still heavy with sleep. She was cut off with a kiss, as Len pulled her down to him, closing his eyes. She remained stunned for a while, her eyes wide as Len kissed her - _he's such a good kisser, _she thought dazedly. It almost made her forget that he was not supposed to be here. Not in her house. Not in her room. And not in her bed!

He nipped playfully at her mouth before he finally pulled away, leaving her still dazed. ''I'm here to do dirty things to you,'' he smiled, his eyes glimmering in the darkness. ''And I'm not ashamed to admit it...'' his voice hardened, and he forced her to meet his gaze, tilting her chin so that she couldn't look away. ''Do you love me, Miku?'' he asked, his voice carefully neutral.

''Yes,'' she whispered, her heart racing in her chest. His smile returned, that familiar smirk which both infuriated her and made her smile too, and his hands reached up, cupping her face. ''I love you, Len,'' she pressed her hand against his, leaning her cheek into his palm. She was starting to wonder if this was a dream. Maybe it was a dream. That was why he was here. With her. In her bed. Because it was just a dream.

''That's good,'' he breathed, ''because if you didn't love me, Miku...'' he pulled her down for another kiss, this one much more possessive than the last, ''I don't know what I might do. Love me...for ever. For all of eternity, Miku.''

''Yes. I love you,'' she nodded slowly, her voice softening. _It's just a dream, I can promise him whatever I want..._her eyes slowly closed, her smiling a little as she felt him hold her close. Like he was frightened of losing her. _It's nice, to have someone treat me like I'm precious to him. It makes me feel like I'm more than just a whore, more than just something to be used._

''If you love me, then you won't chase me off this bed tonight,'' his usual playful tone came back to his voice. Miku's smile widened as she heard those words. That was so characteristic of Len. She had to wonder whether this was a dream, or simple reality, but she didn't think she minded him showing up, either way. He was her boyfriend. He was important to her.

''I won't chase you off,'' she promised him. Len pushed himself up from the bed, his blue eyes dancing with mischief - even in the dim light of the moon, she could see those lovely blue eyes, drowning her now the way they usually did. His eyes were just so beautiful. Like pools of cerulean. She couldn't look away from them.

''Good. So...where exactly did we leave off this afternoon, hm?'' he asked her, that familiar playful smirk never once leaving his face.

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_**Solitaryloner: **__I feel like I just keep making Len a pervert. It's like, if he's acting perverted everything will be okay. I don't know, I think there's something wrong with me, or maybe it's just the fact that I haven't read something with pervy player Len for quite a while._

_No, just kissing doesn't count. I totally blame delcatty546 for this, she was telling me to read the route for the Bloody Twins in some Alice game (what's it called I forget) and I'm sorry but those twins are just too sexy and I had to write something pervy and sex-related._

_I'm becoming a pervert, oh no. Help me. Stop me someone please stop me I'm a pervert and let's face it no one wants me to be a pervert right? Because that is just wrong. So wrong!_


	17. Chapter 17

_**Solitaryloner: **__Oh. My. God. How long has it been since I last touched this story? Okay, honestly I didn't have any inspiration and I had no idea how to continue this, but I really should update this now, shouldn't I? Happy…eight month anniversary update?_

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><p>When she next opened her eyes, she wondered whether everything which happened last night was nothing more than a dream.<p>

She was so sure that Len had been there, holding her, whispering sweet nothings into her ear. He had held her against his chest, rocking her to sleep – she could still recall the feeling of his heart, thrumming against her ear. She had fallen asleep to the sound of his voice and the rhythm of his heartbeat, entwining to form a soothing lullaby…

But when Miku next awoke, he wasn't there, and she felt a strange sense of disappointment weigh her down at the thought of his leaving. She couldn't be certain if last night was a dream or reality – after all, Len had her keys, so she couldn't rule out the chance that he actually did come and visit her – but knowing that his presence had been felt in this room last night, and he wasn't here the next morning…it made her feel lonely.

Today was the last day before the weekend, so she hauled herself out of bed, determined to last through this day, at the very least. She let out a weary groan of exhaustion – after everything which had happened at Len's house yesterday, she had forgotten to finish her Math homework…well, on the bright side, Len wouldn't have done it either. Not that the blond-haired idiot needed to care – even without the extra credit, he was easily capable of topping their class. Len Kagamine was a genius.

She bit her lip nervously at the thought of that. He really was smart, and again, the idea of that brought a sense of insecurity along with it. He was handsome, intelligent, witty and mischievous – again, she knew that he could have any girl he wanted, any girl in the world, and she still didn't know why he chose her, of all people. He didn't have an answer for that either, did he? She had asked, after all. And he didn't have any idea…

"Mikuo?" she called out as she shuffled out of her room, rubbing sleepily at her eyes. She was still in her nightdress, and her hair was in complete disarray – she didn't care, however, since her brother was long used to seeing her in the mornings. Miku was not what one would consider a pretty sight when she just rose from bed. She wondered if her brother was even awake yet – Mikuo was, much like her, quite a heavy sleeper.

She heard a muffled grunt from downstairs, and knew her brother was awake. Despite his usual cheerful, happy-go-lucky nature, he was a huge grump in the mornings. She glanced at the clock on the landing wall – well, it wasn't even eight yet. Anyone would be cranky, much less Mikuo, who hadn't been getting enough sleep the past week. She kept telling him not to wait up for her, but he never listened to what she said…

Gripping the banisters of the stairs tightly, she inched her way down the stairway, her eyes squinting as she tried to rouse herself from her state of half-wakefulness. _I really don't like mornings…_she yawned, stretching her free arm into the air. She felt a little sore because of the position she had been sleeping in – when she woke up, she was curled up on the bed, her body weight pressed entirely on her left arm. As a result, her left arm was feeling rather numb at the moment, and she winced as her skin prickled, the blood resuming circulation. She ran her fingers through the tangles in her teal hair.

Another day of school, another day of smiling at boys she didn't love, another day of pretending that she wasn't any different from the rest of them…she heaved a sigh, her feet finally landing on the ground floor. She shuffled forward, her nightdress swaying around her, and glanced around at the living room – Mikuo wasn't there, so she assumed that he was in the kitchen. So she made her way to the said room, wondering if her brother had already made his own breakfast, and secretly hoping he made her share.

Her eyelids drooping from insufficient sleep, she pushed the door to the kitchen open – her gaze took in the sight before her, and instantly she jolted awake, her sleepiness gone in the blink of an eye. Her teal haired brother was standing there, a faint, sleepy scowl on his face, as he bit into his usual breakfast of peanut butter sandwiches – and there, standing next to her little brother, was the boy she had been thinking of mere moments ago. Len Kagamine looked up as she entered the kitchen, lifting an eyebrow.

"You're such a heavy sleeper. I tried to wake you up several times, but you just pushed me away," he pouted, leaning his elbow back against the countertop. She gaped at him – she thought…wait, so he really had been in her room last night? Her cheeks flushed at the realisation – then Mikuo, and everything that Len and she had done last night…not that they had _done _anything, but the fact that he was in her room at night – damn, what was Mikuo going to think? She glanced at her brother again, this time more in panic than anything else – Mikuo just stared back at her, still eating his sandwich.

"What…why are you here?" she finally managed to stammer out, her gaze shifting back to Len. The blond-haired boy smiled lazily at her, turning back behind him to pick something off the table – when he faced her again, he was holding two pieces of toast in his hands, a bright smile on his face. _I didn't think Len would be a morning person…he seems so awake. _"Len!" she shook her head sharply, trying to keep her focus. "You haven't answered my question…" her voice trailed off as he approached her, the smile on his face dimming slightly. He looked a little impatient at her questioning.

"I came to your room last night, remember? I have your keys," he leant close to her, murmuring in her ear so that her brother wouldn't hear what he was saying. With his free hand, the hand which wasn't holding on to the plate of toast, he reached into his pocket and drew out a set of keys, dangling from a heart-shaped keychain. She recognised the keychain to be hers, and immediately she reached out for it, wanting the keys back. Len simply held the keys out of her reach, and she glared at him. He smiled. "No, if you want the keys, you need to finish breakfast first," he sang liltingly.

"You shouldn't even have used my keys," she huffed indignantly, lunging for the keys again. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Mikuo watching them, still munching nonchalantly on his bread. He seemed to be too interested in the proceedings for his own good, and Miku shot him a warning look – without a single word of protest, her brother walked out of the kitchen, evidently deciding not to stay and watch his sister argue with her boyfriend. Mikuo wasn't unintelligent, and he probably had already figured out the relationship she and Len shared. Especially since Len was here…

"No, you eat your breakfast first," he said stubbornly, whipping the keys out of reach. He was taller than her, and she growled, aggravated by his antics as well as by the early hour – Miku was far from being in the best of moods at the moment. "Come on," he said softly, wheedling her – he placed the keys in his pocket and reached out, his fingers tilting her chin so that she looked up into his eyes. It was a loving gesture, and she found herself blushing slightly at his intense scrutiny – it was early morning, but Len looked as immaculate and well-groomed as he always did. It was a stark contrast against the dishevelled mess she knew she was. Not that she cared very much, to be honest – Mikuo didn't care, she didn't care, and if Len cared…well, then too bad for him.

"Fine, I'll eat breakfast," she finally muttered, backing away from him slightly. His smile widened at that, and he approached her, closing the distance she had put between them. She didn't know how to react to that, gazing up at him quizzically – how was she supposed to react to his nearness? A blush spread across her face at the memory of yesterday, of how intimate they had been – she wasn't used to the idea of long-term commitment and devotion, like what Len was showing and giving to her. The idea of being his girlfriend actually sunk in, and she hesitated, her feelings conflicted.

Yes, she cared for him, and she liked him. Yes, he was someone she liked when she was a child. He was her first friend and first love, and she would be lying if she said she did not feel the slightest bit of affection for him. Yes, she loved him – but did she love him as much as he loved her? That, she could not be certain, and she had no idea if she would ever be certain. Even now, even after everything that happened between her and Len, even after all the murmurs of love and affection and all the physical intimacy…she still wondered if she had feelings for Kaito. The navy haired boy was someone she had liked for so long – it would be difficult for her to let go completely, even after everything.

And the secrets she had to hide from Len…compared to her, he was so guileless, so free and open and easy to read. He was like an open book, his blue eyes unguarded and trusting as he stared at her, and she didn't think she could look at him the same way, no matter how much she wished she could. She was selfish, and she didn't want him to leave her, though she didn't know if she would ever be able to feel for him as strongly as he did for her. "But what are you doing here?" she asked the question, repeating herself.

"I'm here because I miss you," he dropped the playful facade, his blue eyes looking down at the floor, avoiding her gaze. He looked so listless, so demoralised, at that very moment…she wanted to reach out and hold him, but at the same time, her own wariness and insecurity prevented her from doing such a thing. All she could do was watch him, and wait for him to struggle to come up with some sort of explanation for his own behaviour. "I know that it's irrational and stupid to miss you, and that it's wrong to come all the way to your house without prior notice, just because I wanted to see you. But is it wrong to miss someone that much…?" she blinked as his hand approached her face, and she felt his slender fingers brush lightly against her cheek. It was a light, hesitant touch, and she barely felt his fingers, though she knew he touched her.

"Len…" she whispered, not knowing what to say other than that. He looked away from her, his blond fringe falling forward so that his gaze was obscured from her. "I…I'm not blaming you for anything, really. I just…I don't know," she sighed, reaching up to catch his fingers, holding them against her cheek. He glanced up at her touch, his blue eyes filled with surprise – she knew he didn't expect her to reciprocate his affections. Why would he ever think that? After all, she had never been the one to initiate or respond to anything he did – she always tried her hardest to push him away, and she supposed that after such a long period of going through that, he probably found it odd that she wasn't trying to resist him the way she normally would. Things were so different now…

Suddenly – it was so sudden, almost like a switch being flipped – the confusion was gone from his face, and he was smiling brightly at her, so brightly that she thought she could go blind from that smile. It was as though all that confusion and uncertainty had never even crossed his mind, and she blinked at him, wondering what the reason for such a sudden transition was. "You must be hungry by now! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and you really shouldn't miss it," with those words, he thrust the plate of toast forward, and somewhat hesitantly she took hold of the plate. The fragrance of perfectly toasted bread with butter wafted up to her nose, and her stomach growled.

He heard, and a small smirk flitted across his face. "Well, don't mind me," he chirped, his bright mood still at odds with the earlier hesitance and gloom he had shown. She knew something was wrong – she frowned at him, but he simply patted her lightly on the head, telling her to enjoy her breakfast – which he had made especially for her – and not to mind him, because he had already raided her fridge and eaten his fill. Normally, she would be aggravated by how much he seemed not to _care_, but she knew that somehow, this time was different. There was a certain expression in his eyes, something dark that hadn't been there the day before, or even yesterday. Something had changed…

Len leant back against the kitchen counter, watching Miku bite into the toast he had made for her. Her large green eyes constantly darted between him and the floor, as though she wanted to stare at him but was too shy and embarrassed to do so openly. He hid a smirk at the thought – she still wasn't comfortable with acknowledging him to be someone other than a friend and classmate, he was aware of that. He knew that he had to give her some time, and he was willing to offer her all the time she wanted – the main thing was…he swallowed, his mood dampening again. No, he didn't want to think about it. _Surely she wouldn't…_he glanced at her again. She was still nibbling on the toast.

She was so lovely, even after she had just woken up. Her teal hair fell in tousled, rumpled waves down her back, framing her face in an ethereal, almost sleepy way. Her green eyes were half-lidded, as though she wasn't quite fully awake yet. Her cheeks were slightly pinkish, the way they had been ever since she first saw him in her kitchen – he wondered if she even knew she was blushing. He found her so beautiful, no matter what happened, no matter when he looked at her – maybe it was because he loved her, or maybe it was because she truly was beautiful. Either way, he couldn't believe that he was really here, watching her eat – couldn't believe that she said she loved him too.

Sometimes, he still wondered. Sometimes, he saw the faint traces of dark longing in those ethereal green eyes, and when he saw that, he couldn't help but feel the urge to break something. The thought that she might still have feelings for another guy made him feel so insecure – he shouldn't feel insecure, he knew that, but he couldn't stop himself from feeling that way. When it came to her, he lost all his confidence and cool with girls. He turned into a simpering boy, one who just entered his first relationship, with no idea at all how to proceed and please his girlfriend. He had long passed that stage...

Why was she making him return to that foolish love-struck phase? He had loved her for ages, so shouldn't he be used to his own feelings and their intensity by now? He would like to say that he was accustomed to this, but he knew that he wasn't. Perhaps it was because she was his first and only love, and he did not hold the same feelings for anyone else. All he knew was, without her, he wouldn't be himself anymore. He would be Len – he wasn't the kind of person who would claim to die without their beloved – but he wouldn't be the same Len Kagamine he always knew. She changed him.

Whether she changed him for the better or the worse was something which remained to be seen. He would like to believe that Miku changed him for the better, but if she did, then why did he feel all these twisted, dark emotions, wanting him to do things which he knew wouldn't be…pleasant? He hated himself sometimes, hated how clingy and needy he became in her presence, how he wished he could selfishly keep her all to himself. He had to learn to be more self-reliant, he knew that too, but he wasn't even sure what such a term meant anymore – not after loving and needing her for so long. For years…

He thought back to last night. They hadn't done anything – he was not so despicable as to go any further when she was asleep – but he wondered if this was a mistake. If showing up at her house in the middle of the night, and being curious about her past, were mistakes…perhaps he shouldn't have allowed his curiosity to get the better of him. Wasn't there that saying – that curiosity killed the cat? And he was a cat this time. He was the curious one, and because of his desire for knowledge about her…

"I'm done, can I have my keys back now?" she asked him, her clear, high-pitched soprano breaking into his thoughts, He jerked up from the kitchen counter, his gaze narrowing on her plate – true to what she said, the toast was completely gone. So he returned her the keys, and she took them happily, holding tightly on to them. She looked up at him, an open expression that held no trace of guile – despite her flirtatious ways, she possessed a certain idyllic innocence that still startled him from time to time. Sure, she was far from pure – even he could not defend her in that aspect – but whenever he looked into her eyes, there was a certain quality about her gaze that made him stop and look again – something about her which screamed that she was not fully tainted, like him. She was notorious for her playful ways in school, but she was not truly like him.

"I'll wait for you while you get ready for school," he told her, resting his hand on her head as he bent down to her, leaning his forehead against hers. Her green eyes met his blue ones, and he felt like he could gaze into that beautiful stare forever – she nodded and rose from the chair, about to go back to her room, he knew. He chose to stay here in the kitchen instead – he didn't want to return to that place. With a soft sigh, he watched as she made her way out of the kitchen, her footsteps light and delicate.

He wondered whether she would ever fully trust him. He was waiting for her to tell him the truth one day – the truth of who she was and what happened in those five months after the deaths of her parents. In the five months she and Mikuo had disappeared from the face of the Earth. He had tried getting information out of the younger Hatsune, but he was just as tight-lipped as his older sister. Len would simply have to wait and be patient if he ever wanted to find out anything about Miku.

At least, he should have been patient. He should have waited. Because now that he had been meddlesome, now that he had showed up at her house in the middle of the night and done things he shouldn't have done, he was starting to question himself and his own thoughts about her. About them. He didn't know the full story, but what little he knew was tearing him apart inside - he just didn't show that to her, because he didn't want her to suspect that there was anything wrong. He didn't want her to know that there was something changed about him now...changed because of what he _did _and _knew._

Maybe the smiles he put on were too forced and artificial, because he didn't miss the flicker of suspicion and uncertainty in her eyes whenever he smiled at her as cheerily as he could, desperately pretending that nothing had changed. He should have gone home right after last night, but he didn't - he stupidly thought that he would be able to sort out his own thoughts and suspicions by then, but clearly he had not. And he doubted he ever would be able to sort out his confusion, not without her help - _and how could he ever ask her for help, when doing so would violate their privacy...their relationship?_

_It's nothing but an artifice, what I am showing her right now. _He knew that, despite acting the same way he normally did, Miku was not fooled. She was aware that something was different about him, and now he was thinking furiously about how to prevent her from pinpointing what had led to the change. There were many different reasons, and he simply had to make her think of anything but the truth. He didn't want her to hate him.

He swallowed. He wished he could just talk to her freely and openly, so that they could clear up all the insecurity issues the two of them had. He had his own set of problems regarding his perception of his feelings, while he was certain Miku was hesitant about why he chose her, of all girls. He knew she would wonder – she was so paranoid and untrusting that she simply could not believe in anything without knowing the rationale behind it. He just didn't know what her problems might be, what she might be dissatisfied with when it came to him – and he wished he could change for her.

Other couples could easily iron out their differences and talk about their problems together. But he and Miku could never do that. Because the two of them were both fighting their own battles, and neither one of them was willing to concede defeat to their inner demons. Neither of them would make the first move – Miku was still too untrusting of him, and Len himself was feeling rather confused about what was happening at the moment. He didn't dare to reach out to her and confide in her, and question her…

He would always be there for her, no matter what, no matter when. He just wished that there could be a way to make her see that this was a truth, and not something he had made up just so she would fall in love with him. He knew she was still conflicted about their relationship - could see it in the faint doubt in her eyes, no matter how many times she said she loved him, or how much she tried to conceal those doubts.

Len wished he could be there for her, but how would that happen unless she was more willing to open up to him?

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><p><em><strong>Solitaryloner: <strong>__Sorry if anything here doesn't makes sense, because I'm writing this while I am half asleep and this is pretty much torture. Drop a review please, thank you!_


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